Indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy in node-negative oral cancers

Taijiro Ozawa; Isao Oze; Takashi Matsuzuka; Eiichi Sasaki; Junkichi Yokoyama; Yoshie Sano; Masayuki Tomifuji; Koji Araki; Yasunao Kogashiwa; Ichiro Tateya; Shinya Agena; Tomohiro Sakashita; Hidenori Tsuzuki; Hoshino Terada; Hidenori Suzuki; Daisuke Nishikawa; Shintarou Beppu; Takuma Matoba; Nobuaki Mukoyama; Keisuke Oguri; Yasuhisa Hasegawa

doi:10.1002/hed.27477

Indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy in node-negative oral cancers

Head Neck. 2023 Oct;45(10):2533-2543. doi: 10.1002/hed.27477. Epub 2023 Aug 8.

Authors

Taijiro Ozawa¹, Isao Oze², Takashi Matsuzuka³, Eiichi Sasaki⁴, Junkichi Yokoyama⁵, Yoshie Sano⁶, Masayuki Tomifuji⁷, Koji Araki⁷, Yasunao Kogashiwa⁸, Ichiro Tateya⁹, Shinya Agena¹⁰, Tomohiro Sakashita¹¹, Hidenori Tsuzuki¹², Hoshino Terada¹³, Hidenori Suzuki¹³, Daisuke Nishikawa¹³, Shintarou Beppu¹³, Takuma Matoba¹⁴, Nobuaki Mukoyama¹⁵, Keisuke Oguri¹⁶, Yasuhisa Hasegawa³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology, Toyohashi Municipal Hospital, Toyohashi, Japan.
² Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention, Aichi Cancer Center Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan.
³ Department of Head and Neck Surgery - Otolaryngology, Asahi University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
⁴ Department of Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
⁵ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Nadogaya Hospital, Kashiwa, Japan.
⁶ Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Saitama Medical University, Saitama, Japan.
⁷ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, National Defense Medical Collage, Tokorozawa, Japan.
⁸ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Kamifukuoka General Hospital, Saitama, Japan.
⁹ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, School of Medicine, Fujita Health University, Toyoake, Japan.
¹⁰ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan.
¹¹ Department of Otorhinolaryngology / Head and Neck Surgery, Kushiro City General Hospital, Kushiro, Japan.
¹² Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Okazaki City Hospital, Okazaki, Japan.
¹³ Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Japan.
¹⁴ Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Nagoya City University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Nagoya, Japan.
¹⁵ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan.
¹⁶ Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Konan Kosei Hospital, Konan, Japan.

PMID: 37552157
DOI: 10.1002/hed.27477

Abstract

Background: We aimed to define the indications for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), the third option for cervical treatment in oral cancer with negative cervical lymph nodes.

Methods: The greatest depth of invasion (DOI) and long diameter (LD) of the primary site were used as exposures. SLN metastasis was considered the outcome.

Results: In three trials conducted between 2009 and 2016, 158 patients were eligible and reassigned to this study group. The scatterplot based on the respective values of DOI and LD would eventually be divided into three sections. In cases of sections T1, T2, and T3, the proportions of SLN metastasis positivity were 21.3%, 35.3%, and 51.2%, respectively. In certain cases of T1 with 2 mm < DOI ≤ 5 mm and 8 mm < LD ≤ 20 mm, the proportion of SLN metastasis positivity was 40.9%.

Conclusions: SLNB-navigated or assisted neck dissection can be added as an effective procedure for N0 neck control.

Keywords: indication; neck dissection; node-negative; oral cavity cancer; sentinel lymph node biopsy.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Lymph Nodes / pathology
Lymph Nodes / surgery
Lymphatic Metastasis / pathology
Mouth Neoplasms* / pathology
Mouth Neoplasms* / surgery
Neck Dissection
Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy*