Sentinel node biopsy as an alternative to elective neck dissection for staging of early oral carcinoma

Background We report the outcome of sentinel node biopsy (SNB) for staging the neck in a consecutive cohort of 34 patients with T1/2 clinically N0 oral carcinoma. Methods SNB was performed along with resection of primary tumor. Neck dissection was reserved for failure of SNB or pathologically positive sentinel nodes (pN+). Results Sentinel node identification was successful in 32 of 34 patients (94%); 2 patients with unsuccessful SNB underwent immediate neck dissection. Seven patients (21%) were pN+, 6 by SNB and 1 by elective neck dissection (END). Among 29 patients who were pN0 on SNB, nodal recurrence developed in 2 patients; both were surgically salvaged. Local failure developed in 1 patient. Two‐year overall and disease‐free survival was 87% and 80%, respectively. Conclusion Successful eradication of lymphatic metastasis noted in this study suggests that SNB may be a safe alternative to END for neck staging in patients with early oral carcinoma. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: 241–246, 2014