Distribution of cervical metastasis in tongue cancer: Are occult metastases predictable? A retrospective study of 117 oral tongue carcinomas

Cervical nodal involvement represents the major prognostic factor in tongue cancer. A total of 51,2% of N+ patients presented T1 and T2 tumors in this series. We recommend performing neck dissection at the early stages in clinically N0 patients when a tumor thickness >0,4 cm is suspected. Level IV should be included in the neck dissection of clinically N0 tongue cancer.