Carried out between 2004 & 2014 with 596 patients the surgery can boost survival rate by 12.5%
A path-breaking study done by Tata Memorial Hospital shows that an additional 30-minute neck dissection to remove affected lymph nodes can reduce the risk of relapse of head and neck cancer by 55%. The study, which was done between 2004 and 2014 with 596 patients, showed that this intervention can also boost the survival rate by 12.5%. The study was published in the latest issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Tata Hospital's study has put a full stop to the five-decade long debate on whether the surrounding lymph nodes should be removed at the time of primary oral cancer surgery.
Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, professor, head and neck surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital and also one of the authors, said: “When a patient comes with a lesion in his oral cavity, be it his/her tongue or jaw bone, it’s not possible to say whether the cancer has progressed beyond to the neck region. This is especially in the early stages of oral cancer.’’
Chaturvedi added that the study has now given a new hope for patients diagnosed with early oral cancer as the head and neck cancer has high chances of relapse. In Tata Memorial Hospital itself, four of every 10 new patients suffer from oral cancer. “Dissection of the neck is a delicate operation because the cut has to be made near areas where important nerves (for facial expression and spine), veins and arteries run.
Still, the surgery is important for the patient as they may be at the risk of not diagnosing the cancer’s complete spread early enough,” said Chaturvedi.
Annually, India sees 1 lakh new oral cancer patients out of which 50% die within 12 months. Most of these deaths are due to delay in seeking medical help. “Armed with the study, we will now be able to counsel the patients confidently that adding neck surgery to their initial treatment in worthwhile,” said Dr Anil D Cruz, professor and surgeon of head and neck surgery department who headed the study.
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