Cost-effectiveness of CT and PET-CT for determining the need for adjuvant neck dissection in locally advanced head and neck cancer

摘要

Background: Patients with node-positive head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNC) have a significant risk of residual disease (RD) in the neck after treatment, despite optimal chemoradiotherapy (CRT). Adjuvant neck dissection (ND) after CRT has been considered standard treatment, but its morbidity has led investigators to consider using post-CRT imaging to determine the need for surgery. We analyzed the cost-effectiveness of computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET-CT) as predictors of the need for ND compared with ND for all patients.