Dear friends and colleagues

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to the 4th International Conference on Sentinel Node Biopsy and Radioguided Head & Neck Surgery.

Since the first case of sentinel node biopsy in head and neck cancer was reported in 1996 the technique has been documented to be technically feasible in accurately staging the neck.

Following the three previous conferences, which were successfully held in Glasgow, Zürich and Miami with delegates from all around the world, we were encouraged to organize an interdisciplinary conference with the intent to discuss the different aspects of sentinel node biopsy. There is a need to establish whether sentinel node biopsy reduces morbidity or is as equally effective as selective neck dissection in the treatment of head and neck cancer.

The conference will bring together representatives from a wide variety of disciples involved in sentinel node biopsy. It offers the opportunity to discuss our experiences to date and stimulate further translational development in this exciting technique.

We are looking forward to welcome you in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Yours sincerely

Christian von Buchwald
Professor, MD, DMSc
Dept. of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery
Copenhagen University Hospital
Denmark.