Cervical lymph node dissection for head and neck cancer (literature review)

Metastatic damage to the cervical lymph nodes is one of the urgent and complex problems resulting from the occurrence of squamous cell cancer of the cervix and neck. Most patients die from them when the first tumor is cured. The frequency of metastasis to regional lymph nodes of the neck reaches 60-70%. Surgical treatment remains the determining component in treatment tactics. Various options for cervical lymph node dissection have been developed, each of them has its own indications. Some authors argue about the need for preventive lymph node dissection of the neck, while others, on the contrary, talk about selective operations, others prefer to perform radical surgical interventions, and others prefer to perform elective neck relief. Thus, in the treatment of regional metastases of head and neck cancer, there are issues that deserve serious attention and clarification. The purpose of this article is to review the available data on cervical lymph node dissections.