Related Experiment Video
Updated: Mar 24, 2026
05:52
Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping and Biopsy for Endometrial Cancer at Early Stage with Laparoscopy
Published on: August 19, 2021
13.8K
Sentinel node biopsy versus elective neck dissection. Which is more cost-effective? A prospective observational
Josué Hernando1, Pedro Villarreal2, Francisco Álvarez-Marcos3
1Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Donostia Hospital, San Sebastian, Spain.
Summary
Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) is a cost-effective alternative to elective neck dissection (END) for early oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), offering similar survival outcomes with reduced expenses.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Surgical Oncology
- Health Economics
Background:
- Early oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) management involves staging the neck.
- Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SNB) and elective neck dissection (END) are primary surgical options.
- Understanding the comparative costs and outcomes is crucial for clinical decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the costs and oncological outcomes of SNB versus END in early OSCC patients.
- To evaluate disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) between the two procedures.
Main Methods:
- Prospective, non-randomized observational study of 73 early OSCC patients.
- Patients chose between SNB and END after informed counseling.
- Direct costs, false negative rates, negative predictive value, DFS, and OS were analyzed.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in DFS or OS between SNB and END groups.
- SNB incurred 42% lower costs for true-negative patients compared to END.
- False negative rates were lower in the SNB group, but costs increased for pN+ patients.
Conclusions:
- SNB is a cost-effective strategy for early OSCC compared to END.
- SNB offers comparable oncological prognosis to END.
- Patient selection for SNB requires careful consideration, especially for pN+ cases.
