Is Planned Neck Dissection Necessary for Head and Neck Cancer After Intensity-Modulated Radiotherapy?

Conclusions: Appropriately delivered IMRT has excellent dose coverage for cervical lymph nodes. A high radiation dose can be safely delivered to the abnormal lymph nodes. There is a high complete response rate. Routine planned neck dissection for patients with N2A and higher stage after IMRT is not necessary. Post-IMRT [18F] fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography is a useful tool in selecting patients appropriate for neck dissection.