A meta-analysis on selective versus comprehensive neck dissection in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients with clinically node-positive neck

Abstract

Objective: Properly management of cervical lymph node metastases is a critical treatment for patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However there is no consensus on the optimal treatment for oral cancer patients with clinically node-positive (cN+) neck. This study aims to access the feasibility of selective neck dissection in oral cancer patients with cN+neck.

Method: We searched PubMed and EMBASE up to April 2015 to identify the studies which compared selective neck dissection (SND) with comprehensive neck dissection (CND) in OSCC patients with cN+neck. Data were extracted by two authors. The meta-analysis was conducted with regional recurrence and disease specific death as primary endpoints.

Result: Five studies with a total of 443 patients met our inclusion criteria. No significant difference was found regarding regional recurrence, disease specific death or overall death between the SND and CND group.

Conclusion: These findings suggest that cN+OSCC patients treated with SND in conjunction with adjuvant therapy got comparable clinical outcome to CND.

Keywords: Clinically node-positive neck; Meta-analysis; Oral squamous cell carcinoma; Selective neck dissection.