RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Radiotherapy as Elective Treatment of the Node-negative Neck in Oral Squamous Cell Cancer JF Anticancer Research JO Anticancer Res FD International Institute of Anticancer Research SP 3489 OP 3498 DO 10.21873/anticanres.15136 VO 41 IS 7 A1 ERIK LUNDIN A1 JOHAN REIZENSTEIN A1 FREDRIK LANDSTROM A1 MICHAEL BERGQVIST A1 BO LENNERNAS A1 JOHAN AHLGREN YR 2021 UL http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/41/7/3489.abstract AB Background/Aim: Previous studies of node-negative oral squamous cell carcinoma have shown a benefit of elective neck dissection compared to observation. Evidence for radiotherapy as single-modality elective treatment of the node-negative neck is so far lacking. Patients and Methods: In a retrospective material of 420 early-stage oral cancers from 2000 to 2016, overall survival, disease-free survival, and regional relapse-free survival were calculated with the Kaplan–Meier method. Results: At five years, overall survival was 59.7%, disease-specific survival was 77.2%, and regional relapse-free survival was 83.5%. Among those with adjuvant treatment of the neck after surgery of T1-T2 tumours during 2009-2016, regional relapse-free survival at five years was 85.7% for elective radiotherapy of the neck and 87.4% for elective neck dissection. Conclusion: Elective radiotherapy to the neck with a modern technique and adequate dose might be an alternative to neck dissection for patients with early-stage oral squamous cell cancer.