The purpose of this study is to see if neck and shoulder function and pain are better after SLN biopsy surgery compared to the usual approach and to see if SLN biopsy surgery is as good as the usual approach in extending your time without cancer. SLN biopsy surgery is potentially less invasive compared to the usual approach, but it requires a radioactive imaging agent to see the lymph nodes and it could also cause side effects. These side effects are described in the risks section below. Your study doctor will choose the appropriate imaging agent, Lymphoseek or sulfur colloid, for use in your surgery.This study will help the study doctors find out if this different approach is better than the usual approach at improving neck and shoulder function. To decide if it is better, in the first part of the study, doctors will be looking to see if shoulder and neck function and quality of life are better after SLN biopsy surgery compared to the END surgery.

We are asking you to take part in a research study. This study has public funding from the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the United States Department of Health and Human Services. We do research studies to try to answer questions about how to prevent, diagnose, and treat diseases like cancer. We are asking you to take part in this research study because you have early-stage oral cavity cancer and are having neck dissection surgery.