Sentinel lymph node biopsyÓ?s role in oral cavity cancer: analysis of cases and literature review

Early-stage oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) presents with occult metastases in up to 30% of cases.For this reason, a dilemma remains between adopting a watchful waiting approach or a more aggressive strategy with elective neck dissection (END).In recent years, an intermediate option has emerged: sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), which enables ganglionar staging with less morbidity compared to END.This study reviews the related literature and early-stage OCSCC cases from our department, aiming to implement SLNB as a procedure in our institution.