RELATION OF TUMOUR THICKNESS WITH LYMPH NODE METASTASIS IN ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA

Lymph node Metastasis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Objective: To measure the tumour thickness in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to establish relationship with metastasis in the cervical lymph nodes.
Study design: Descriptive study.
Place and study duration: Department of Histopathology, Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), Rawalpindi, 6 months (Feb - July 2010).
Materials and Methods: Thirty cases of neck dissection for oral squamous cell carcinoma were included in the study. The tumour thickness was measured in all cases and total number of involved lymph nodes was documented. Comparison was made between the tumour thickness and the involved lymph nodes.
Results: The mean age of the patients was 54±11.5 years. Male to female ratio was 1.5:1. The cases were taken from different oral sites, tongue being the most prominent of all (36%). Majority (63.3%) of patients had tumour metastasis in the cervical lymph nodes. The mean tumour thickness of cases with neck node metastasis was 9.9 mm. Significant relationship was observed between tumour thickness of ≥5mm increases the chances of cervical lymph node metastases (p<0.001), hence it should be considered as an important prognostic indicator.
Conclusion: Importance of tumour thickness cannot be neglected as it is an important prognosticator. A cut off size of ≥5 mm could be used to predict the cervical lymph node metastasis in an oral SCC patient.