Freedom from local and regional failure of contralateral neck with ipsilateral neck radiotherapy for node-positive tonsil cancer: Updated results of an institutional clinical management approach

This represents the single largest series reported from a community hospital-based cancer center in which lateralized tonsil cancers with N+ disease were treated with ipsilateral neck radiotherapy. In this carefully selected cohort of patients with well-lateralized tonsil cancers, the risk of contralateral nodal failure appears to be <5%, suggesting that prophylactic radiation of the contralateral neck may not be necessary. Future planned studies will focus on prospectively selecting subgroups of patients eligible for treatment de-intensification as survivorship issues in excellent prognosis HPV positive patients are increasingly becoming relevant.