Remote access sentinel lymph node biopsy in oral cancer.

Abstract

Lymph node management in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has been subject to surgical de-escalation. Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), as established for other entities, has emerged as the standard of care for small OSCC. Moreover, remote access surgery in head and neck oncology, using both a retroauricular approach to the neck and robotic techniques, has evolved over the last several years. The combination of SLNB and remote access in selected cases offers minimally invasive neck management without impairment of oncological safety.