SynthesisCurrent oncology (Toronto, Ont.)2025
Personalizing Elective Nodal Irradiation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review of SPECT/CT-Guided Sentinel Lymph Node Mapping.
Synthesis in Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- From technical feasibility to clinical validation: the next step for SPECT/CT-guided elective nodal irradiation.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
12 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Bilateral elective nodal irradiation (ENI) remains standard for treating most head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) but is associated with significant toxicity. Advances in lymphatic mapping, particularly with SPECT/CT-guided sentinel lymph node (SLN) identification, have enabled more personalized radiotherapy strategies. This systematic review evaluates the efficacy and quality-of-life impact of ENI strategies using SPECT/CT-guided SLN mapping. This systematic review, conducted according to PRISMA guidelines, included ten studies published between January 2014 and March 2024, including prospective, retrospective studies, randomized trials, and systematic reviews, examining oncologic outcomes and toxicity in patients undergoing SPECT/CT-guided SLN mapping or individualized ENI. Findings show that in well-lateralized, early stage carcinomas, SPECT/CT-guided ENI safely allows for unilateral treatment in up to 82% of patients, with a low contralateral regional failure rate. This approach significantly reduces radiation exposure to organs at risk and rates of xerostomia, dysphagia, and hypothyroidism, leading to improved quality of life. However, its applicability to advanced or midline tumors remains limited. SPECT/CT-guided SLN mapping and individualized ENI offer a promising, less toxic alternative for selected patients. Further prospective, multicenter, and randomized studies are needed to confirm these benefits and support broader clinical adoption.
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