Micrometastases in carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract: Detection, risk of metastasizing, and prognostic value of depth of invasion

Abstract

The surgeon should be aware of a relatively high incidence of micrometastases from oral and pharyngeal carcinomas, which are neither detectable preoperatively nor histopathologically by a reasonable effort. The measurement of the maximum depth of invasion of the primary can delineate a group of patients who should be treated by elective neck dissection.