Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 6, 2026
Modified Radical Neck Dissection for Cervical Metastasis
Published on: February 20, 2026
Radiographic complete response on post treatment CT imaging eliminates the need for adjuvant neck dissection after
Kathryn M Greven1, Daniel W Williams, J Dale Browne
1Department of Radiation Oncology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Medical Center Boulevard, Winston-Salem, NC 27157, USA. kgreven@wfubmc.edu
Objective:
The primary purpose of this study was to correlate radiographic response in the neck to clinical outcomes for patients with node positive head and neck cancer.
Methods:
One hundred three patients with stage III/IV node positive cancer were treated with definitive radiotherapy or chemoradiation at a single institution from 1990 to 2004. Follow-up ranged from 8 months to 144 months with a median of 42 months. Posttreatment CT scans were called complete radiographic response (rCR) or partial radiographic response.
Results:
Actuarial 36 month rates of survival, control above the clavicles, and nodal control were 66%, 74%, and 90%, respectively. Patients, who had rCR on posttreatment CT scan, who had a neck dissection had a nodal control rate of 94% compared with those without neck dissection of 97%. Patients with partial radiographic response who were treated with neck dissection had a nodal control rate of 94% compared with those without neck dissection of 73%.
Conclusions:
Based on this data, there was no suggestion that neck dissection improved outcome for patients with rCR on posttreatment imaging 4 to 6 weeks after radiation.
