Objective: We sought to investigate the utility of elective neck dissection (END) in clinically node-negative parotid malignancy through the evaluation of factors that are associated with receiving END and survival analysis of patients who received END.
Study design: Retrospective cohort database study.
Setting: The National Cancer Database (NCDB).
Methods: The NCDB was used to extract patients with clinically node-negative parotid malignancy. END was defined as having 5 or more lymph nodes examined pathologically, as previously defined in the literature. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to compare predictors of receiving END, rates of occult metastasis, and survival.
Results: Of the 9405 included patients, 3396 (36.1%) underwent an END. END was most frequently performed for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and salivary duct histology. All other histologies were significantly less likely to undergo END compared to SCC (p < .05). Salivary ductal carcinoma and adenocarcinoma had the greatest rates of occult node disease (39.8% and 30.0%, respectively), followed by SCC (29.8%). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a statistically significant increase in 5-year overall survival in patients who received END with poorly differentiated mucoepidermoid (56.2% vs 48.5%, p = .004) along with moderately and poorly differentiated SCC (43.2% vs 34.9%, p = .002; 48.9% vs 36.2%, p < .001, respectively).
Conclusion: Histological classification is a benchmark for determining which patients should receive an END. We demonstrated an increase in overall survival in patients who undergo END with poorly differentiated tumors of mucoepidermoid and SCC histology. As such, histology should be considered along with clinical T-stage and rate of occult nodal metastasis to determine eligibility for END.
Keywords: National Cancer Database; elective neck dissection; head and neck cancer; occult disease; parotid malignancy.
© 2023 American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.