Sentinel node biopsy in head and neck squamous cell cancer: 5-year follow-up of a European multicenter trial.

Background: Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) may represent an alternative to elective neck dissection for the staging of patients with early head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). To date, the technique has been successfully described in a number of small single-institution studies. This report describes the long-term follow-up of a large European multicenter trial evaluating the accuracy of the technique.

Does tumor depth affect nodal upstaging in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck?

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether tumor depth affects upstaging of the clinically node-negative neck, as determined by sentinel lymph node biopsy with full pathologic evaluation of harvested nodes including step-serial sectioning (SSS) and immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Patients And Methods: One hundred seventy-two patients with cT1/2 N0 squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity/oropharynx undergoing primary resection and either sentinel node biopsy (SNB) or SNB-assisted neck dissection as a staging tool for the cN0 neck. Harvested nodes were examined with hematoxylin-eosin staining, SSS, and IHC.

Sentinel node biopsy in head and neck cancer: preliminary results of a multicenter trial.

Background: The aim was to determine the reliability and reproducibility of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) as a staging tool in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) for T1/2 clinically N0 patients by means of a standardized technique.

Methods: Between June 1998 and June 2002, 227 SNB procedures have been performed in HNSCC cases at six centers. One hundred thirty-four T1/2 tumors of the oral cavity/oropharynx in clinically N0 patients were investigated with preoperative lymphoscintigraphy (LSG), intraoperative use of blue dye/gamma probe, and pathological evaluation with step serial sectioning and immunohistochemistry, with a follow-up of at least 12 months.