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


METHODS
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.


RESULTS
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.


CONCLUSIONS
These findings suggest that cN+OSCC patients treated with SND in conjunction with adjuvant therapy got comparable clinical outcome to CND.
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.
Lizhong
L
Liang
Department of Stomatology, Affiliated Zhongshan Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhongshan, Guangdong 528400, China.
Tonghan
T
Zhang
Zhuhai Stomatology Hospital, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.
Qianying
Q
Kong
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong 519000, China.
Jun
J
Liang
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Guanghua School of Stomatology, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510000, China. Electronic address: drliaoguiqing@hotmail.com.
Guiqing
G
Liao
D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000556:secondary / Q000628:therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
Clinically node-positive neck; Meta-analysis; Oral squamous cell carcinoma; Selective neck dissection