Sentinel lymph node biopsy in oral squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

The greatest contemporary dilemma in the surgical management of oral cancer remains whether or not to subject clinically N0 patients to an elective neck dissection. This systematic review aims to determine the acceptability of sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) as the key influential factor in deciding on therapeutic intervention in such cases based on the procedure's feasibility, sensitivity and predictive ability. A systematic search of all literature available globally, employing pre-defined inclusion and exclusion criteria using electronic and manual search methods including personal communication was undertaken.