Detection of Cervical Nodal Metastasis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Using Elastic Scattering Spectroscopy: Ex Vivo Diagnostic Modeling Study

Background

Cervical nodal metastasis remains one of the strongest determinants of treatment planning and prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma. Histopathology remains the reference standard, but it does not provide immediate information at the point of surgical specimen assessment. Elastic scattering spectroscopy (ESS) offers rapid, label-free optical interrogation of tissue microstructure, and may support ex vivo nodal assessment.