Aiming to spare the neck: could smarter radiation cut side effects in oral cancer?

This phase II trial is testing whether a sentinel lymph node biopsy can guide radiation therapy to only one side of the neck in people with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma. Currently, standard treatment often involves radiating both sides of the neck, which can harm saliva production, speech, and swallowing. By using the biopsy results to see if cancer has spread to lymph nodes, doctors hope to personalize radiation and spare the opposite side from unnecessary treatment. The study will measure how well this approach controls cancer recurrence in the neck and how it affects neck function and dryness.