Page 75 - Sentinel lymph node biopsy in oral cavity cancer - Inne J. den Toom

RESULTS Retrospective study At least one histopathologically positive SLN was found in 36/139 (26%) of patients, yielding a total of 43 positive SLNs. One patient with a paramedian T1 tongue tumour was diagnosed with bilateral positive SLNs. In both neck sides the largest tumour deposit in the positive SLN, respectively ITC and macrometastasis, was separately investigated. The remaining patients with at least 2 positive SLNs had only unilateral metastasis and the largest tumour deposit was taken for evaluation and follow-up of the neck. Overall, we analyzed 36 patients with 37 SLN positive neck sides, subdivided into 7 necks with ITC, 14 with micro- and 16 with macrometastasis (Table 1 and 2). Table 1. Data of demographic and tumour-related patient characteristics 4 Status of SLNB Characteristic Patients, n (%) Gender, n (%) Male Female Median age (y) (range) Tumour location, n (%) Tongue Floor of mouth Buccal mucosa Inferior alveolar process Soft palate Clinical T stage, n (%) T1 T2 No of SLNs Follow-up, (m) (range) Observation time (months) Overall (%) 139 (100%) 71 (51%) 68 (49%) 60 (27-86) 86 (61%) 40 (29%) 6 (4%) 4 (3%) 3 (2%) 97 (70%) 42 (30%) 328 36 (1-102) Negative (%) 103 (74%) 54 (52%) 49 (48%) 60 (27-85) 62 (60%) 31 (30%) 6 (6%) 2 (2%) 2 (2%) 81 (79%) 22 (21%) 285 (87%) 36(1-102) Positive (%) 36 (26%) 17 (47%) 19 (53%) 62 (29-86) 24 (66%) 9 (25%) 0 2 (6%) 1 (3%) 16 (44%) 20 (56%) 43 (13%) 36 (1-98) Abbreviations: SLNB, sentinel lymph node biopsy; SLNs, sentinel lymph nodes 73