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Topic: State of the Art in the Management of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

The role of sentinel node biopsy in oral

squamous cell carcinoma

Justo Serrano-Vicente 1,2

1 Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Infanta Cristina, 06080 Badajoz, Spain.
2 Department of Biomedical Science, Extremadura University, 06071 Badajoz, Spain.
Address for correspondence: Dr. Justo Serrano-Vicente, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Infanta Cristina, Av.
Elvas s/n, 06080 Badajoz, Spain. E-mail: titoserrano@gmail.com

Dr. Justo Serrano-Vicente, M.D., Ph.D., is a Radiology Associated Professor in the Biomedical
Science Department at Medicine Faculty of Extremadura University from 2009. He received his
Ph.D. degree in Medical and Surgical Sciences from the Cantabria University, Santander, Spain,
in 1995. Since 2000, he works at the Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Infanta
Cristina, Badajoz, Spain.

ABSTRACT
Aim: The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the published literature
to assess the state of the art of this procedure. Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) in oral squamous cell
cancer (OSCC) is a novel and proven useful technique alternative to the neck dissection (ND) in the
management of OSCC. Methods: The authors searched PubMed for literature in English published
for the last five years, addressing this topic. Prospective studies articles were selected with at least
thirty patients studied. Results: Of 235 studies found, 14 studies met the exclusion and inclusion
criteria for this review. The studies selected focused on the role of the SNB in the OSCC, advantages
compared to ND and its limitations, testing different solutions and innovations that could implement
the conventional procedure. Meta-analysis studies and review articles were also selected in order to
perform the introduction and support the discussion. Based upon these findings authors have tried
to establish the state of the art of the SNB and authors have highlighted recent advances that improve
the sentinel lymphatic node biopsy technique in the future. Conclusion: SNB is an excellent staging
method in OSCC and an interesting alternative to ND. The authors show the most appropriate
procedures recommended in the bibliography revised in a trend to depict the actual state of the art.
Key words:
Oral cavity; squamous cell cancer; sentinel node biopsy

INTRODUCTION these tumors, the presence of tumors spread to a single
regional lymph node can transform a small stage I tumor
Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is predominantly to an advanced stage III or even stage IV head and neck
a loco-regional disease. One of the most significant
prognostic factors in management are the lymph node
[1]
metastasis. Due to the high metastatic potential of This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative
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How to cite this article: Serrano-Vicente J. The role of sentinel
node biopsy in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Plast Aesthet Res
DOI: 2016;3:142-9.
10.20517/2347-9264.2016.19
Received: 02-04-2016; Accepted: 29-04-2016
142 © 2016 Plastic and Aesthetic Research | Published by OAE Publishing Inc.