title: Novel diagnostic modalities for assessment of the clinically node-negative neck in oral squamous-cell carcinoma.
abstract: Oral squamous-cell carcinomas arise in mucosal linings of the oral cavity and frequently metastasise to regional lymph nodes in the neck. The presence of nodal metastases is a determinant of prognosis and clinical management. The neck is staged by palpation and imaging, but accuracy of these techniques to detect small metastases is low. In general, 30-40% of patients will have occult nodal disease and will develop clinically detectable lymph-node metastases when the neck is left untreated. The choice at present is either elective treatment or careful observation followed by treatment of the neck in patients who develop manifest metastases. These unsatisfying therapeutic options have been the subject of debate for decades. Recent developments in staging of the neck, including expression profiling and sentinel lymph-node biopsy, will allow more personalised management of the neck.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Centre Utrecht, Utrecht, Netherlands. f.k.j.leusink@umcutrecht.nl
authors.forename: Frank K J
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Leusink
authors.forename: Robert J J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: van Es
authors.forename: Remco
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: de Bree
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Baatenburg de Jong
authors.forename: Sander R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: van Hooff
authors.forename: Frank C P
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Holstege
authors.forename: Piet J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Slootweg
authors.forename: Ruud H
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Brakenhoff
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Takes
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*; D009333:Neck; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D059467:Transcriptome