Elective Neck Dissection Versus Therapeutic Neck Dissection in Clinically Node-Negative Early Stage Oral Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

The results of this meta-analysis suggest that elective neck dissection at the time of resection of the primary tumor not only leads to a reduced chance of nodal recurrence, but also confers a survival benefit in patients with clinically node-negative early stage oral cancer.