Volume 115, Issue 8 pp. 1011-1018
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Discrepancy between cTNM and pTNM staging of oral cavity cancers and its prognostic significance

Nayeon Choi MD

Nayeon Choi MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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Yangseop Noh MD

Yangseop Noh MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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Eun Kyu Lee MD

Eun Kyu Lee MD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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Manki Chung MD, PhD

Manki Chung MD, PhD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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Chung-Hwan Baek MD, PhD

Chung-Hwan Baek MD, PhD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

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Kwan-Hyuck Baek PhD

Corresponding Author

Kwan-Hyuck Baek PhD

Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea

Correspondence

Han-Sin Jeong, MD, PhD, Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Republic of Korea.

Email: [email protected]

Kwan-Hyuck Baek, PhD, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea

Email: [email protected]

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Han-Sin Jeong MD, PhD

Corresponding Author

Han-Sin Jeong MD, PhD

Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea

Correspondence

Han-Sin Jeong, MD, PhD, Department of Otorhinolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 06351, Republic of Korea.

Email: [email protected]

Kwan-Hyuck Baek, PhD, Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Samsung Biomedical Research Institute, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Suwon, Republic of Korea

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 23 March 2017
Citations: 11

Abstract

Introduction

Accurate tumor-node-metastasis(TNM) staging of oral cavity cancer(OCC) is very important in the management of this dismal disease. However, stage migration from cTNM to pTNM was found in a portion of OCC patients. The objective of this study was to determine the possible causes of discrepancy between cTNM and pTNM in OCC and the clinical impacts of stage migration.

Methods

Clinical and pathological data of 252 OCC patients were retrospectively reviewed and compared each other. Clinical staging was determined through the multidisciplinary evaluation of pre-treatment work-ups including PET/CT. In addition, we compared the up-staged cases with those in the no-change group with the same pTNM stages to identify the clinical impacts of such change.

Results

Clinical staging yielded overall 82.5% diagnostic accuracy in predicting pathological tumor status, and tumor extent was under-estimated in 9.5-13.5% of cases. The main causes of T up-staging were under-estimation of surface dimension (62.5%) and deep invasion to tongue extrinsic muscles (37.5%). N up-staging was due to occult single (57.6%) and multiple (42.4%) metastases. Surprisingly, TNM up-staging in our series did not have prognostic significance under the current management protocol.

Conclusion

Clinical under-estimation of pathological tumor extent occurred in approximately 13% of OCC, without clinical impacts on prognosis.

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