Patients' perspective on the impact of sentinel node biopsy in oral cancer treatment.
OBJECTIVE
Assessment of the impact of a sentinel node biopsy (SNB)-based strategy in cT1/T2 N0 oral cancer on the course of health related quality of life, psychological distress, and shoulder disability, and evaluation of the patients' perspective on neck management strategies.


METHODS
Fifty-two patients (39 SNB negative; 13 SNB positive) completed the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) questionnaires-QLQ-C30 and QLQ-H&N35, and the HADS, IES, and SDQ questionnaires at baseline, after SNB diagnosis and at 6 months of follow-up. Objective shoulder measurements were performed after 2 years and interviews were conducted after 4.5 months of follow-up.


RESULTS
All the scores of the questionnaires were not significantly different between SNB negative and SNB positive patients. Objective shoulder functioning was similar. Most patients preferred a SNB-based strategy to an elective neck dissection strategy.


CONCLUSIONS
The impact of a SNB-based strategy in patients with cT1/T2 N0 oral cancer is comparable for SNB-negative and SNB-positive patients in terms of health-related quality of life, psychological distress and shoulder functioning. Most patients preferred the SNB-based strategy over the elective neck dissection strategy.
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Géke B
GB
Flach
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address: Im.verdonck@vumc.nl.
Irma M
IM
Verdonck-de Leeuw
Epidemiology and Biostatistics, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Birgit I
BI
Witte
Department of Head and Neck Surgery and Oncology, Netherlands Cancer Institute/Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
W Martin C
WM
Klop
Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Robert J J
RJ
van Es
Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
Kees-Pieter
KP
Schepman
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Remco
R
de Bree
D044963:Biopsy, Fine-Needle; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D000071066:Patient Reported Outcome Measures; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011788:Quality of Life; D021701:Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional