Study title

Prospective randomized study of selective neck dissection versus observation for N0 neck of early tongue carcinoma

journal

Head and Neck

study year

2009

QUESTION

Is there nodal control and a survival benefit of elective selective level I, II, III neck dissection (SND) compared with observation in treatment of N0 early tongue carcinoma?

Study DESIGN

Multicentre prospective randomised clinical trial

STUDY GROUPS

Ipsilateral selective level I, II, III neck dissection (n=36) vs Observation (n=35)

Population

71 patients from 3 hospitals all having transoral glossectomy

Inclusion criteria

AJCC stage I to II SCC of oral tongue

Exclusion criteria

Prior surgery/chemotherapy/radiotherapy

Oral cavity (other subsites) and tongue base

Follow-up

Neck dissection: 93 months median

Observation: 92 months median

Primary endpoint(s)

Node-related mortality (0% in observed and treatment, though 11 patients in observed arm and 2 patients in SND arm developed nodal recurrence alone and were salvaged)

Secondary endpoint(s)

5-year tumour-specific survival rate (87% in observation arm, 89% SND arm)

Weblink

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hed.21033/epdf

Brief summary

Observation may be an acceptable alternative to SND if strict adherence to a cancer surveillance protocol

Authors

Yuen et al

Department of Surgery, Queen Mary Hospital, Hong Kong