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Comparative Study
. 2009 May;31(5):618-24.
doi: 10.1002/hed.20988.

Elective neck dissection for the management of the N0 neck in early cancer of the oral tongue: need for a randomized controlled trial

Anil K D'Cruz  1 , Ravichand C Siddachari, Rohan R Walvekar, Gouri H Pantvaidya, Devendra A Chaukar, Mandar S Deshpande, Prathamesh S Pai, Pankaj Chaturvedi
Affiliations
Comparative Study

Elective neck dissection for the management of the N0 neck in early cancer of the oral tongue: need for a randomized controlled trial

Anil K D'Cruz et al. Head Neck. 2009 May.

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study is to determine the need for a randomized controlled trial in order to define the role of an elective neck dissection (END) in the treatment of early tongue cancers.

Methods: We present a large retrospective analysis of patients with T1-2 N0 squamous cell cancers of the oral anterior tongue treated at a single institution. A total of 359 eligible patients with early tongue cancers were divided into 2 groups: END and wait and watch (WW). An analysis for survival outcomes and prognostic factors was conducted.

Results: The estimated 3- and 5-year disease-free survival for the END group was 76% and 74% versus 71% and 68% for the WW group, respectively (p = .53). The 3- and 5-year overall survival (OS) rate for the END group was 69% and 60% versus 62% and 60% for the WW group, respectively (p = .24). Tumor grade and perineural invasion were independent predictors of recurrence.

Conclusion: END did not impact disease-free or OS. Current literature still remains divided on this issue emphasizing the need for a randomized controlled trial.

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