Sentinel lymph node biopsy for early squamous cell carcinoma of the lip and oral cavity: Real‐world experience in Brazil

• Published in: Head & neck 2022-07, Vol.44 (7), p.1604-1615
• Main Authors: Matos, Leandro Luongo, Capuzzo, Renato Castro, Pedruzzi, Paola Andrea Galbiatti, Farias, Terence, Farias, José Wilson Mourão, Chone, Carlos Takahiro, Köhler, Hugo Fontan, Vartanian, José Guilherme, Dias, Fernando Luiz, Couto, Eduardo Vieira, Pinto, Fabio Roberto, Carvalho, André Lopes, Kowalski, Luiz Paulo
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biopsy; Brazil; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell - pathology; Head and Neck Neoplasms - pathology; Humans; Lip; Lip - pathology; Lymph nodes; Metastases; mouth neoplasms; neck dissection; Neck Dissection - methods; Neoplasm Staging; Oral cancer; Oral carcinoma; Oral cavity; prognosis; Retrospective Studies; sentinel lymph node biopsy; Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy - methods; Squamous cell carcinoma; survival
• ISSN: 1043-3074; 1097-0347
• DOI: 10.1002/hed.27061

Background This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy and oncological results of sentinel lymph node biopsy in patients with early lip and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in a real‐world scenario. Methods Retrospective study including seven Brazilian centers. Results Four‐hundred and seven cN0 patients were accrued for 20 years. The rate of occult metastasis was 23.1% and 22 patients (5.4%) had regional failure. We found, for 5 years of follow‐up, 85.3% of regional recurrence‐free survival; 77.1% of disease‐free survival; 73.7% of overall survival; and 86.7% of disease‐specific survival. The rate of false‐negative cases was 5.4%. Conclusion In a real‐world scenario, sentinel lymph node biopsy for patients with SCC of the lip and oral cavity proved feasible in different settings and to be oncologically safe, with similar rates of occult lymph node metastasis and false‐negative cases, when compared to elective neck dissection, and with similar long‐term survival to that reported historically.