Interpretation of treatment outcome in the clinically node-negative neck in primary parotid carcinoma: a systematic review of the literature.

Background: Critical evaluation of outcome of primary parotid carcinoma treatment is limited by pathologic diversity and low incidence numbers. Scientific evidence for the optimal management of the N0-neck is scarce and was, therefore, investigated in a systematic literature review.

Methods: The articles included were published in English between 1997 and 2007 and describe populations with the definitive pathology, staging, and treatment. Of 1104 articles, 19 were selected, describing 2703 patients.

Results: Of eligible populations, 83% were clinically N0. Pathology reporting of elective lymph node dissection (ELND) had limitations, but 23% showed occult metastases. Regional recurrence occurred in 5% of patients.

Conclusion: The discrepancy between the relatively high percentage of occult metastases and reported low regional recurrence rates may indicate the efficacy of treatment, being either ELND or radiotherapy of the neck. Pooling, standardized collection, and reporting of data are essential in comparing outcomes in populations to determine optimal treatment.