Upfront Neck Dissection Before Radiotherapy in Stage N3 Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma: A Retrospective Study

This retrospective observational study aims to evaluate the association between neck tumor burden and high-risk imaging features with locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis in patients with stage N3 nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and to explore the potential benefits of neck dissection, with or without re-irradiation or systemic therapy, in improving regional control and survival. The key questions addressed are whether high N burden and high-risk imaging features are significantly correlated with neck recurrence and distant metastasis, and whether salvage neck treatment (such as neck dissection ± re-irradiation/systemic therapy) can improve regional control and survival outcomes in this high-risk population.

NCT Number	NCT07180173
Lead Sponsor	Taichung Veterans General Hospital
Conditions	Oncology, Radiology
Enrollment	7 participants
Start Date	2007-04-01
Primary Completion	2024-05-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2025-12-15 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-03-24