European Journal of Biomedical and Pharmaceutical Sciences

SENTINEL NODE BIOPSY: METHOD AND ITS ROLE IN SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA OF ORAL CAVITY

Md. Kalim Ansari*, Syed S. Ahmed, G. S. Hashmi, Sajjad A. Rahman, Tabishur Rahman

ABSTRACT

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) is the method in which first-echelon nodes of regional basin is biopsied to see the metastasis by malignant neoplasm. It has been studied extensively in malignant melanoma and breast carcinoma with excellent results. The first application of SNB for Oral cancer was reported by Koch and colleagues and Pitman and coworkers. For oral cancer patient’s accurate diagnosis and staging is needed to select proper treatment modality and estimate prognosis. Cervical metastasis is the single most important prognostic factor in patients of oral cancer with its presence reducing the five years disease survival rate by 50%. The greatest problem is with clinically N0 neck in which sometimes after histopathologic examination of dissected lymph nodes it is felt by the clinician that there was no need of elective neck dissection (END). To reduce the cost burden and morbidity associated with END and simultaneously to properly treat the patients, SNB may play an important role in the management of oral cancer patients. Although this technique is under investigation for staging oral cancer patients, sufficient experience with SNB is available to discuss the method, diagnostic efficacy and challenges associated with this technique.

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