PURPOSE: Optimum management of the N0 neck is unresolved in @entity5 . @entity1817 ( @entity1817 ) can reliably detect microscopic lymph node @entity3 . The object of this study was to establish whether the technique was both reliable in staging the N0 neck and a safe oncological procedure in @entity1 with early-stage @entity957 . METHODS: An European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer-approved prospective, observational study commenced in 2005. Fourteen European centres recruited 415 @entity1 with radiologically staged T1-T2N0 @entity957 . @entity1817 was undertaken with an average of 3.2 nodes removed per @entity1 . @entity1 were excluded if the sentinel node (SN) could not be identified. A positive SN led to a neck dissection within 3 weeks. Analysis was performed at 3-year  follow-up. RESULTS: An SN was found in 99.5% of cases. Positive SNs were found in 23% (94 in 415). A false-negative result occurred in 14% (15 in 109) of @entity1 , of whom eight were subsequently rescued by salvage therapy. Recurrence after a positive @entity1817 and subsequent neck dissection occurred in 22 @entity1 , of which 16 (73%) were in the neck and just six @entity1 were rescued. Only minor complications (3%) were reported following @entity1817 . Disease-specific survival was 94%. The sensitivity of @entity1817 was 86% and the negative predictive value 95%. CONCLUSION: These data show that @entity1817 is a reliable and safe oncological technique for staging the clinically N0 neck in @entity1 with T1 and T2 @entity5 . EORTC Protocol 24021: Sentinel Node Biopsy in the Management of Oral and @entity957 .

Sentinel European Node Trial (SENT): 3-year results of sentinel node biopsy in XXXX .

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity5 :: ('MESH:D009369', 'Disease') :: ['oral cancer'] @entity957 :: ('MESH:D002294', 'Disease') :: ['squamous cell carcinoma', 'Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma', 'oral squamous cell carcinoma'] @entity1817 :: ('MESH:D012804', 'Disease') :: ['SNB', 'Sentinel node biopsy'] @entity3 :: ('MESH:D009362', 'Disease') :: ['metastasis']
@entity5 :: (MESH:D009369,Disease) :: ['oral cancer']
