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Sentinel node navigation surgery versus observation as a management strategy for early tongue carcinoma
Author(s) -
Yamauchi Kohichi,
Fujioka Yasunori,
Kohno Naoyuki
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
head and neck
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.012
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1097-0347
pISSN - 1043-3074
DOI - 10.1002/hed.21776
Subject(s) - sentinel node , tongue , medicine , general surgery , carcinoma , surgery , cancer , pathology , breast cancer
Background The status of lymph nodes in the neck is the most important prognostic factor for the outcomes of patients with oral tongue cancer. However, surgical prophylaxis of the neck is controversial. Methods We reviewed 22 patients with clinically T1/T2, N0 Union Internationale Contre le Cancer oral squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue. Patients were assigned to groups according to the management strategy selected for the neck. One group underwent a “watchful waiting” policy and the other underwent sentinel node navigation surgery (SNNS). Results Three of 11 patients (27%) in the watchful waiting group developed regional recurrence and underwent neck dissection. Only 1 of 11 patients (9.1%) in the SNNS group developed regional recurrence. Although the groups did not significantly differ, the SNNS group tended to have less regional recurrence. Conclusion SNNS should be the third strategy formanaging early oral tongue carcinoma. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck, 2012