Is elective neck dissection in T1-2, N0 patients with lower lip cancer necessary?

The significance of elective neck dissection in the early stages of lower lip cancer is generally underestimated. In the classic textbooks of plastic surgery it has been generally accepted that lymphatic spread to neck is negligible and therefore it is not imperative to perform any kind of neck dissection. However, in some recent studies high rates of clinically positive neck that were initially negative began to appear in the literature especially in otorhinolaryngology and head and neck journals. Our clinical series consisted of 21 lower lip cancer cases with T1-2, N0 tumors; the rate of lymphatic spread to neck was found to be 19%. Because of this high rate, we conclude that it is not sound to discard the importance of neck dissection even in the early stages of lower lip cancers. At least, a suprahyoid neck dissection should be performed in all patients with lower lip cancer.