Elective neck dissection versus positron emission tomography–computed tomography–guided management of the neck in clinically node‐negative early oral cavity cancer: A cost–utility analysis

Abstract

In early oral cavity cancer, elective neck dissection (END) for the clinically node‐negative (cN0) neck improves survival compared with observation. This paradigm has been challenged recently by the use of positron emission tomography–computed tomography (PET‐CT) imaging in the cN0 neck. To inform this debate, we performed an economic evaluation comparing PET‐CT–guided therapy with routine END in the cN0 neck.