The treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity is determined primarily by the stage of the disease. Therapeutic modalities include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. For patients with small, localized primary lesions and no metastases (Stages I and II), treatment might include resection of the primary tumor with or without elective neck dissection, radiotherapy to the primary tumor with or without elective neck irradiation, or combination therapy including resection of the primary tumor followed by irradiation of the neck. Patients presenting with clinically negative necks who are initially treated with elective neck dissections show better survival rates than similar patients undergoing later salvage neck dissections.