ABSTRACT
Management of a clinically node-negative (N0) neck in patients with head & neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) still remains doubtful and controversial. Few studies in literature recommend elective neck dissection when the anatomic subsite of the head and neck, such as oral cavity (tongue and floor of mouth) and supraglottic area, has risk of lymphatic spread for at least 15–20%. However, elective neck dissection is always associated with an increase in morbidity of the patient. The requirement of sentinel lymph biopsy predicts the need for accurate intraoperative pathological staging of a cervical lymph node with a minimal invasive surgical technique. This chapter explains the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy and the areas where it can be clinically applied when evaluating occult metastases in cancer patients with head and neck.
