Role of suprahyoid neck dissection in the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the lower lip

Treatment of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip is primarily surgical. Unlike other oral lesions, lower lip cancers do not metastasize to lower cervical lymph nodes without invading submental and submandibular lymph nodes. This study presents 30 patients with NO lower lip carcinoma who were treated by en bloc resection of the tumor with suprahyoid neck dissection. Occult metastasis was found in 4 patients (13%). Four patients, 3 of whom had no occult metastases, died of local or regional uncontrollable disease. Suprahyoid or modified radical neck dissection appears to be beneficial, even in small tumors of the lower lip, in detecting occult metastases.