Up-front neck dissection followed by definitive (chemo)-radiotherapy in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma: Rationale, complications, toxicity rates, and oncological outcomes - A systematic review

Background and purpose: Lymph node metastases of head and neck cancer are considered one of the most negative prognostic factors. While outcomes and feasibility of chemo-radiotherapy ((C)RT) with or without adjuvant planned neck dissection (ND) in organ-preservation treatment strategy have been addressed, the role of ND before (C)RT, called up-front neck dissection (UFND), is not clearly established. This review provides a critical appraisal of UFND.

Material and methods: Articles were identified with a systematic approach. Outcomes included post-UFND delay of (C)RT, surgical complications, radiation toxicity and oncologic outcome.

Results: Fifteen studies met inclusion criteria, totaling 607 patients undergoing UFND. Part of the data suggest advantages toward less surgical complications compared with salvage ND, decreased serious acute radiation toxicity and better oncological outcomes when compared with (C)RT alone. The overall heterogeneity of the analyzed data does not allow a meta-analysis that provides high-quality evidence in favor or against UFND.

Conclusions: Due to lack of well-designed randomized trials, it is difficult to assess the role of UFND in organ-preserving (C)RT setting of head and neck cancer.