Omission of the Pathologic Node-Negative Neck from Postoperative Radiation Therapy for Oral Cavity Cancer Is Not Associated With Regional Failure

Elective neck dissection has recently been shown to confer a survival benefit in the setting of oral cavity squamous cell cancer (OC-SCC). Post-operative radiation therapy (RT) is recommended after primary surgical management of OC-SCC for adverse pathologic features. Current guidelines recommend coverage of the operative bed, including the pathologic node-negative (pN0) neck, which is associated with worsened late toxicity and quality of life....