Management of advanced nodal disease in patients treated with primary chemoradiotherapy

Purpose of review: The management of advanced nodal disease in patients treated with chemoradiotherapy has been a controversial topic for many years. New data have recently been reported, including the results of a multicentre randomized trial making this review timely. Recent findings: The PET-NECK trial showed that PET-computer tomography (CT) surveillance is as effective as planned neck dissection in terms of overall survival, but results in much fewer neck dissections, less complications and is more cost effective. Cost-effectiveness data from a single centre study demonstrated that strategies that include PET-CT were more effective than CT-alone-guided strategies. Summary: There is now level 1 evidence to support image-guided surveillance strategies as the standard of care for advanced nodal disease in patients treated with primary chemoradiotherapy.
Source: Current Opinion in Oncology - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: HEAD AND NECK: Edited by Gilberto de Castro Jr Source Type: research