BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (US-FNAC) can be used to diminish the risk of missing occult metastases and for early detection during follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 163 surgically treated patients without palpable neck nodes (N0). One hundred twenty-six patients underwent planned elective neck dissections, and 37 were planned for a wait-and-see strategy, but preoperative US-FNAC could change this policy if metastases were detected. RESULTS: In the elective neck dissection group, US-FNAC had a sensitivity of 39%, whereas in the wait-and-see group, the sensitivity was 18%. The 5-year survival in the wait-and-see group did not differ from the patients with early oral cancer who underwent an elective neck dissection. CONCLUSION: Although the sensitivity of US-FNAC in this study is low, especially in small oral cancer, the prognosis in the wait-and-see group is not affected. However, a wait-and-see strategy is only advantageous to a minority of the patients. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008.
BACKGROUND: Ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (US-FNAC) can be used to diminish the risk of missing occult metastases and for early detection during follow-up. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed in 163 surgically treated patients without palpable neck nodes (N0). One hundred twenty-six patients underwent planned elective neck dissections, and 37 were planned for a wait-and-see strategy, but preoperative US-FNAC could change this policy if metastases were detected. RESULTS: In the elective neck dissection group, US-FNAC had a sensitivity of 39%, whereas in the wait-and-see group, the sensitivity was 18%. The 5-year survival in the wait-and-see group did not differ from the patients with early oral cancer who underwent an elective neck dissection. CONCLUSION: Although the sensitivity of US-FNAC in this study is low, especially in small oral cancer, the prognosis in the wait-and-see group is not affected. However, a wait-and-see strategy is only advantageous to a minority of the patients. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2008.
Authors: P K de Koekkoek-Doll; M Maas; W Vogel; J Castelijns; L Smit; I Zavrakidis; R Beets-Tan; M van den Brekel Journal: AJNR Am J Neuroradiol Date: 2021-01-28 Impact factor: 3.825