Detailed knowledge of the lymphatic system of the UADT contributes to a better understanding of the patterns of metastatic spread of carcinomas of the UADT and provides a strong rationale for the practice of sentinel node identification in the management of these tumors.

Sentinel lymphadenectomy correctly identified the stage of metastatic disease in 97% of patients in cases in which up to three sentinel nodes were identified. If only the lymph node with the highest tracer activity had been excised, 39% of cancer-positive necks would have been missed. Selective ND identified metastatic disease in the additional 3% of patients.

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Neck lymph node status is the most important factor for prognosis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Sentinel node detection reliably predicts the lymph node status in melanoma and breast cancer patients. This study evaluates the predictive value of sentinel node detection in 50 patients suffering from pharyngeal and laryngeal carcinomas with a N0 neck as assessed by ultrasound imaging. Following 99m-Technetium nanocolloid injection in the perimeter of the tumour intraoperative sentinel node detection was performed during lymph node dissection. Postoperatively the histological results of the sentinel nodes were compared with the excised neck dissection specimen. Identification of sentinel nodes was successful in all 50 patients with a sensitivity of 89%. In eight cases the sentinel node showed nodal disease (pN1). In 41 patients the sentinel node was tumour negative reflecting the correct neck lymph node status (pN0). We observed one false-negative result. In this case the sentinel node was free of tumour, whereas a neighbouring lymph node contained a lymph node metastasis (pN1). Although we have shown, that skipping of nodal basins can occur, this technique still reliably identifies the sentinel nodes of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the pharynx and larynx. Future studies must show, if sentinel node detection is suitable to limit the extent of lymph node dissection in clinically N0 necks of patients suffering from pharyngeal and laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. British Journal of Cancer (2002) Paralell to other tumour entities there were intensified efforts within the last two decades, which are still discussed controversially, to limit the extent of lymph node dissection in the clinically staged N0 situations also for head and neck cancer patients. The aim of reducing a potential excess of surgical therapy for the patient is currently achieved quite successfully in other tumour entities by applying the so-called sentinel node (SN) concept (Lingam et al, 1997;De Cicco et al, 2000;Lantzsch et al, 2001). The extensive investigations on large patient cohorts in breast cancer and malignant melanoma are opposed by a comparative paucity of experience with the SN concept for SCC of the upper aerodigestive tract (Pitman et al, 1998;Shoaib et al, 1999Shoaib et al, , 2001Alex et al, 2000;Chiesa et al, 2000;Colnot et al, 2001;Stoeckli et al, 2001). Most of these articles predominantely deal with oral cancer. Contrary to this, it was the aim of the present study to analyse the role of the SN procedure in patients with pharyngeal and laryngeal carcinoma, which are the most frequent cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract. Primary criterion for inclusion was the N0 neck as staged by ultrasound scanning. Further inclusion criterion was the feasibility of a transoral exposure of the tumour. Adequate injection of the tracer substance especially in the caudal margin of the tumour. Due to inadequate exposure of the tumour three patients (2x larynx, 1x hypopharynx) had to be excluded from the study. PATIENTS ...