Abstract: Objective To investigate the surgical strategy for bilateral cN0 supraglottic laryngeal cancer. Methods Between 1998 and 2002, 32 cases of supraglottic cancer(especially located at midline) with bilateral cN0 necks were treated using ipsilateral selective neck dissection within level Ⅱ and Ⅲ in surgery, after completing the dissection the obtained specimens were detected using frozen section. If the lymph nodes were positive, the contralateral regional neck dissection of level Ⅱ and Ⅲ were conducted. If negative, the contralateral neck was spare and follow-up. Results In 11 of 32 cases of supraglottic cancer of larynx bilateral neck dissections was conducted depending on the results of frozen pathologic results. The bilateral neck dissections rate was 34.4%(11/32) and 6 of this 11 necks contained metastasis, the effective rate was 54.5%(6/11). Conclusion The neck dissection of level Ⅱ and Ⅲ could be used in cN0 necks of supraglottic cancer of larynx. The strategy of contralateral selective neck dissection conducted depending on one side frozen section results can be used and provided us a reasonable trail on the bilateral cN0 patients of supraglottic cancer.

Key words: laryngeal cancer, supraglottic, lymph metastasis, surgical treatment