PURPOSE Sentinel node (SN) biopsy is accurate in operable oral and oropharyngeal cT1-T2N0 cancer (OC), but, to our knowledge, the oncologic equivalence of SN biopsy and neck lymph node dissection (ND; standard treatment) has never been evaluated. METHODS In this phase III multicenter trial, 307 patients with OC were randomly assigned to (1) the ND arm or (2) the SN arm (experimental arm: biopsy alone if negative, or followed by ND if positive, during primary tumor surgery). The primary outcome was neck node recurrence-free survival (RFS) at 2 years. Secondary outcomes were 5-year neck node RFS, 2- and 5-year disease-specific survival (DSS), and overall survival (OS). Other outcomes were hospital stay length, neck and shoulder morbidity, and number of physiotherapy prescriptions during the 2 years after surgery. RESULTS Data on 279 patients (139 ND and 140 SN) could be analyzed. Neck node RFS was 89.6% (95% CI, 0.83% to 0.94%) at 2 years in the ND arm and 90.7% (95% CI, 0.84% to 0.95%) in the SN arm, confirming the equivalence with P < .01. The 5-year RFS and the 2- and 5-year DSS and OS were not significantly different between arms. The median hospital stay length was 8 days in the ND arm and 7 days in the SN arm ( P < .01). The functional outcomes were significantly worse in the ND arm until 6 months after surgery. CONCLUSION This study demonstrated the oncologic equivalence of the SN and ND approaches, with lower morbidity in the SN arm during the first 6 months after surgery, thus establishing SN as the standard of care in OC.

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The aim of this retrospective study was to compare clinical and radiological findings and discuss optimal surgical approach in patients with juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma (JNA). Forty-three cases of JNA were treated at our institution from 1975 to 1999. Thirty-three male patients aged between 8 and 25 years (mean 15.3) were included. Twenty-nine patients underwent primary surgical treatment at our institution and four were treated for recurrence following primary surgery elsewhere. Tumors were staged according to Fisch's staging. Preoperative embolization was performed in 22 cases. Surgical techniques consisted of the transantral approach, lateral rhinotomy approach, transmaxillary via midfacial degloving approach, and the subtemporal preauricular infratemporal fossa approach. Tumors were classified stage I in seven cases, stage II in 11, stage III in 13 and stage IV in two. The mean delay between the initial symptom and surgery was 14 months overall, 18 months for stage I, 14 for stage II, 13 for stage III and 12 for stage IV. The transantral approach was used in 11 patients, lateral rhinotomy approach in 11 cases, transmaxillary via midfacial degloving approach in three patients, and pre-auricular infra-temporal approach in eight patients. Mean follow-up after surgery was 56 months. Six patients had recurrent tumors. Surgery is the gold standard for treatment of JNA. Modern imaging techniques allow accurate diagnosis and staging of JNA. Our experience and a review of the literature shows that the surgical approach should be selected according to tumor stage.

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These findings show that PFLER is an effective therapeutic option in selected cases of early T1N0M0 or T2N0M0 glottic carcinoma.

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