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Sentinel lymph node biopsy versus observation in high risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck: a propensity score matching analysis

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Abstract

Sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) has gained considerable attention in the management of head and neck cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (HNcSCC). The aim of this study was to compare the oncologic outcomes between observation and SLNB in cN0 high-risk HNcSCC patients. We retrospectively enrolled patients from the SEER database and evaluated the impact of observation versus SLNB on disease-specific survival (DSS) and overall survival (OS) using a Propensity Score Matching (PSM) analysis. A total of 9804 patients were included, with 1169 cases treated by SLNB. Successful retrieval of the sentinel lymph node was achieved in 1130 procedures. After PSM and subsequent multivariate analysis, SLNB was found to be an independent predictor for improved DSS, with a hazard ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval: 0.56–0.86). In patients presenting with two or three high-risk factors, SLNB was associated with better DSS (p = 0.021 and p = 0.044), but similar OS (p = 0.506 and p = 0.801) when compared to observation. However, in patients exhibiting four high-risk factors, SLNB demonstrated significantly improved DSS (p = 0.040) and OS (p = 0.028) compared to observation. Our findings suggest that SLNB is a highly feasible technique in HNcSCC and provides significant survival benefits. It is strongly recommended in patients with two or more high-risk factors, as it can help guide treatment decisions and improve patient outcomes.

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No datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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Acknowledgements

None declared.

Funding

The manuscript was supported by Henan provincial Medical Science and Technology Research Project (No.LHGJ20220196) and Project of Science and Technology in Science and Technology Department of Henan Province (No. 232102310285).

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Author notes

  1. Wenqi Zhang and Qigen Fang made the same contribution.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology and Venereal Diseases, Wangjing Hospital of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100102, China

    Wenqi Zhang

  2. Department of Head Neck and Thyroid, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China

    Qigen Fang, Xu Zhang, Liyuan Dai & Ruihua Luo

  3. Department of Radiology, The Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University & Henan Cancer Hospital, Zhengzhou, 450008, China

    Junhui Yuan

Authors
  1. Wenqi Zhang
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  3. Xu Zhang
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  4. Liyuan Dai
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  5. Ruihua Luo
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Contributions

Study design: Wenqi Zhang, Qigen Fang: Manuscript writing, Wenqi Zhang, Qigen Fang, Studies selecting: Wenqi Zhang, Qigen Fang, Data analysis: Wenqi Zhang, Qigen Fang, Quality evaluating: Wenqi Zhang, Qigen Fang, Manuscript revising: Wenqi Zhang, Qigen Fang. The final manuscript was read and approved.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Qigen Fang.

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Ethical approval was not required for this study as the data are publicly accessible. The need for consent was waived by the ethics committee.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Zhang, W., Fang, Q., Zhang, X. et al. Sentinel lymph node biopsy versus observation in high risk cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma of head and neck: a propensity score matching analysis. Arch Dermatol Res 316, 120 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-024-02870-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00403-024-02870-z

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