Oral Cavity. Generally there are two patterns of lymph node involvement that depend on location Anterior cancer sites such as the lips, floor of mouth, and mobile oral tongue, are drained by lymph channels into the submental and submandibular lymph nodes. The more posteriorly located cancers drain into the jugulodigastric nodes. Midline tongue cancers can drain and lead to bilateral nodal infiltrations. The gingival and buccal mucosa tend to have unilateral disease.