Biopsy of the sentinel lymph nodes in early oral cancer: literature review

Biopsy of the sentinel lymph nodes is a modern technique of surgical staging of head and neck tumors. It allows to determine advisability of cervical lymph node dissection in patients with early-stage oral cancer. The article presents a literature review on the history, methodology, and clinical efficacy of sentinel lymph node biopsy. It is shown that technological development and implementation of new indicators increase method efficacy, minimizing unnecessary surgical interventions and decreasing the risk of complications.