Radiation Therapy Variation In The Randomized Phase 3 Positron Emission Tomography Neck Study

Five hundred sixty-four patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck receiving definitive chemoradiation in the PET Neck phase 3 trial were randomized to either planned neck dissection or PETCT scan guided surveillance. The primary endpoint for this study has been previously reported. As the trial spanned the period of IMRT introduction in the United Kingdom, a pragmatic approach to radiotherapy fractionation and technique was adopted and thus three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (3D-CRT) or intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) were permitted as were 4, 6, or 7 week radiotherapy schedules.