PET in Decision Making for Neck Dissection After Radiation Treatment

This article summarizes the controversies around surgical management of the neck following definitive chemoradiation. It explains how policies have evolved and how changes in the biology of the disease, effectiveness of treatment, and the assessment of results have contributed to this. The focus of the article is on the use of positron emission tomography (PET) in deciding the appropriate management of the neck following treatment. It summarizes available evidence on the clinical usefulness and cost-effectiveness of PET compared with other available strategies.