Primary neck management among patients with cancer of the oral cavity without clinical nodal metastases: A decision and sensitivity analysis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

A standardized neck management strategy for oral cancer patients without clinical nodal metastases remains to be established. Consequently, a decision and sensitivity analysis of two neck management protocols, involving either prophylactic neck dissection or careful observation, was conducted using the Oral Cancer Registry of Kyushu, Japan.

METHODS:

We calculated probabilities of subclinical nodal metastases and 5-year survival using the registry data. A two-way sensitive analysis was conducted using the probabilities and parameters of the complete nodal metastasis resection rate (x) and a utility rating that describes the health state induced by dissection (y) compared with the neck condition in a careful-observation group.

RESULTS:

We solved the threshold curve for y and x for the expected utility between the two groups. The results showed that prophylactic neck dissection must guarantee a complete resection of subclinical nodal metastases with no disadvantage to health state to be evaluated as equally satisfactory as careful observation.

CONCLUSIONS:

Careful observation involving standardized systematic preoperative and postoperative screening of the neck seems preferable to prophylactic neck dissection for oral cancer patients without subclinical nodal metastases.

• Authors: Satoshi Kaneko, Takesumi Yoshimura, Kunio Ikemura, Kanemitsu Shirasuna, Jingo Kusukawa, Masamichi Ohishi, Ryosuke Shiba, Hajime Sunakawa, Kazuhiro Tominaga, Kazumasa Sugihara, Masanori Shinohara, Takeshi Katsuki, Shigetaka Yanagisawa, Hideo Kurokawa, Tamotsu Mimura, Hisazumi Ikeda, Shigeru Yamabe, Satoru Ozeki
• Journal: Head & neck (Head Neck) Vol. 24 Issue 6 Pg. 582-90 (Jun 2002) ISSN: 1043-3074 [Print] United States
• PMID: 12112556 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Topics

• Carcinoma, Squamous Cell (mortality, pathology, surgery)
• Decision Support Techniques
• Decision Trees
• Humans
• Lymph Node Excision
• Lymphatic Metastasis
• Mouth Neoplasms (mortality, pathology, surgery)
• Palatal Neoplasms (mortality, surgery)
• Tongue Neoplasms (mortality, surgery)