Head and neck: carcinoma tongue: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Head and neck: carcinoma tongue

Sample item

A 55-year-old smoker has an ulcerated lesion on the lateral border of the tongue, 2.5 cm in size and 6 mm deep, with no palpable nodes. What is the best treatment?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

A. Wide local excision with elective neck dissection

Surgery is the primary treatment for oral cavity cancers, and depth of invasion of more than 4 mm warrants elective neck dissection because of the risk of occult nodal metastases. Adjuvant radiotherapy is given for adverse features. The lateral border is the commonest site of tongue cancer.

Option by option

  • A. Wide local excision with elective neck dissection (correct)

    Correct. Excision with elective neck dissection suits this depth.

  • B. Observation

    Observation allows progression.

  • C. Chemotherapy alone

    Chemotherapy alone is not curative.

  • D. Radioiodine

    Radioiodine treats thyroid cancer.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Wide local excision with elective neck dissection. Surgery is the primary treatment for oral cavity cancers, and depth of invasion of more than 4 mm warrants elective neck dissection because of the risk of occult nodal metastases.

Why is "Observation" not the answer?

Observation allows progression.

Why is "Chemotherapy alone" not the answer?

Chemotherapy alone is not curative.

Why is "Radioiodine" not the answer?

Radioiodine treats thyroid cancer.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: carcinoma tongue in General Surgery. Adjuvant radiotherapy is given for adverse features. The lateral border is the commonest site of tongue cancer.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Head and neck: carcinoma tongue?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.