Sentinel lymph node biopsy: a rational approach for staging T2N0 oral cancer

For oral cancer patients, the presence of neck nodal metastases is the most important disease prognosticator. However, a significant proportion of clinically N0 patients harbor occult microscopic nodal metastasis. Our objective was to determine the feasibility and accuracy of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in the staging of T2N0 oral carcinoma patients.

Prospective analysis.

Twenty patients with previously untreated N0 oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma were studied. Each patient had an SNB performed using preoperative technetium sulfur colloid lymphoscintigraphy, intraoperative gamma probe guidance, and intraoperative peritumoral injection of 1% isosulfan blue. All patients underwent neck dissection. The sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) were sectioned in 2- to 3-mm intervals, formalin fixed, and sectioned at three levels. The non-SLNs were sectioned in a routine manner for histologic examination.

SLNs were identified in all patients (100%) and accurately predicted the pathologic nodal status in 18 of 20 patients (90%). Tumor was found exclusively in the SLNs in six patients (30%). Two patients had positive SLNs at multiple neck levels. Two patients had a negative SLN and a positive non-SLN (false-negative findings). Occult nodal metastases were present in 60% of the cohort.

SNB is a technically feasible and accurate procedure for staging the neck in oral carcinoma patients. However, SNB accuracy is lower for floor of the mouth lesions. The rate of occult nodal metastases identified in this cohort is higher than previously reported in the literature. These results suggest that SNB warrants further multi-institutional studies.