Risk and Rate of Occult Contralateral Nodal Disease in Surgically Treated Patients With Human Papillomavirus−Related Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Base of the Tongue

Abstract

Given the rate of occult contralateral nodal disease of 21.4%, it appears that contralateral elective neck dissection or radiotherapy should be recommended in patients with HPV-related BOT OPSCC. Patients with a pathologically negative result of contralateral neck dissection may not benefit from radiotherapy to that nodal basin. Future prospective investigations should evaluate functional and oncologic outcomes of contralateral elective neck dissection compared with elective radiotherapy in the contralateral neck for HPV-related BOT OPSCC.