Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 14, 2025
Author Spotlight: A Focus on Standardized Salivary Gland Ultrasound Protocol in Connective Tissue Disease Research
Published on: October 13, 2023
Lymph node ratio as a predictor for minor salivary gland cancer in head and neck
Hidenori Suzuki1, Eiichi Sasaki2, Gaku Takano3
1Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Aichi Cancer Center Hospital, Nagoya, Aichi, 464-8681, Japan. hi.suzuki@aichi-cc.jp.
Background:
We investigate whether pathological continuous variables of lymph nodes were related with survival results of carcinomas of minor salivary gland carcinoma in head and neck.
Methods:
Forty-four cases with minor salivary gland carcinoma who underwent both primary resection and neck dissection were retrospectively enrolled. The pathological continuous variables were evaluated by the number of positive lymph nodes, lymph node ratio, and log odds of positive lymph nodes. Receiver operating curve analysis was used for the cut-off values of the carcinoma-specific death. Log-rank test and Cox's proportional hazards model were used for uni-/multi-variate survival analyses adjusting for pathological stage, respectively.
Results:
Lymph node ratio = 0.05 as well as log odds of positive lymph nodes = - 2.73 predicted the carcinoma-specific death. Both lymph node ratio and log odds of positive lymph nodes were significantly related with survival outcomes by the univariate analysis. Lymph node ratio ≥ 0.05 was associated with shorter disease-specific (hazard ratio = 7.90, 95% confidence interval = 1.54-57.1), disease-free (hazard ratio = 4.15, 95% confidence interval = 1.48-11.2) and overall (hazard ratio = 4.84, 95% confidence interval = 1.05-24.8) survival in the multivariate analysis.
Conclusion:
A higher lymph node ratio of minor salivary gland carcinoma is a predictor of shorter survival results.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:23Detailed Structure and Function of Lymph Nodes
From a histological perspective, lymph nodes can be split into two main areas: the superficial cortex and the deep medulla. The outer cortex is populated by dendritic cells, macrophages, and B lymphocytes, which are densely packed into follicles. When these B-lymphocytes are presented...
01:15Secondary Lymphoid Organs
The spleen is a vital organ in the lymphatic system, nestled in the upper left side of the abdomen. It is composed of two primary regions: the red pulp and the white pulp, each having distinct functions. The red pulp performs a significant role in blood filtration. It efficiently purges the blood of old or damaged red blood cells and...