Prognostic factors in surgically treated tongue squamous cell carcinoma in stage T1-2N0-1M0: A retrospective analysis

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Surgical Oncology
• Head and Neck Cancer Research

Background:

• Primary tongue squamous cell carcinoma (TSCC) is a significant head and neck malignancy.
• Accurate prognostic factor identification is crucial for treatment planning and patient outcomes.
• The role of surgical neck lymph node dissection (LND) in early-stage TSCC requires further clarification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify prognostic factors in surgically treated primary TSCC.
• To evaluate the benefits of surgical neck lymph node dissection (LND) for early-stage TSCC.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 440 primary TSCC patients treated surgically (2014-2016).
• Utilized univariate and multivariate Cox models to determine prognostic factors for overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and local recurrence-free survival (LRFS).
• Subgroup analysis assessed adjuvant therapy effects and LND prognostic value in early stages.

Main Results:

• TNM stage and pathological differentiation were independent prognostic factors for all outcomes.
• Lymphovascular invasion (LVI) and/or perineural invasion (PNI) predicted DFS.
• High-quality neck LND (≥30 nodes) significantly improved DFS and LRFS in pT1cN0M0 or Stage I TSCC patients.

Conclusions:

• TNM stage and pathological differentiation are key prognostic indicators for postoperative TSCC.
• High-quality cervical LND offers significant survival benefits for early-stage TSCC (pT1cN0M0 or Stage I).