title: [Clinical and pathological related factors of occult cervical lymph node metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of tongue].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Some clinical and histopathological features of squamous cell carcinoma of tongue (TSCC) were closely associated with occult cervical lymph node metastasis (OCLNM). This study was designed to investigate the correlation between occult cervical lymph node metastasis in squamous cell carcinoma of tongue and the clinicopathological indexes of primary tumor tissue.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five TSCC patients with OCLNM treated in Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University from 1988 to 1996 were enrolled. According to random principle, 35 TSCC patients without OCLNM at the same period were selected. Tumor deepness was measured and pathological parameters were assessed under microscope.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The rates of OCLNM in group of infiltrative plus ulcerative type, group of infiltrative type, group of ulcerative type and group of exogenous type were 70.37%, 41.67%, 40.00%, and 27.27%, respectively; the rates of OCLNM in T1, T2, and T4 were 44.00%, 43.48%, and 62.64%, respectively. The rates of OCLNM in groups of tumor deepness < 4 mm, 4-7.9 mm, and > or = 8 mm were 14.29%, 61.54%, and 88.89%, respectively. The rates of OCLNM in groups of response of peritumoral lymphocyte +, ++ and +++ were 73.68%, 58.62%, and 18.18%, respectively. The rates of OCLNM in groups of with vascular invasion and without vascular invasion were 85.71% and 46.03%, respectively. The rates of OCLNM in groups of well, moderate, and poor differentiation were 52.63%, 42.31%, and 66.67%, respectively. The rates of OCLNM in groups of invasive patterns of type I, type II, type III, and type IV were 40.90%, 50.00%, 52.00%, and 80.00%, respectively. Univariate analysis indicated that OCLNM in TSCC was closely associated with gross appearance of primary tumor, tumor deepness, response degree of peritumoral lymphocyte and vascular invasion (P < 0.05), but was not associated with T stage, pathological differentiation, and invasion way (P > 0.05); Logistic multivariate analysis manifested that only tumor deepness and response degree of peritumoral lymphocyte significantly correlated with OCLNM in TSCC.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There was significant correlation between gross appearance of primary tumor, tumor deepness, response degree of peritumoral lymphocyte and vascular invasion and OCLNM in TSCC. These parameters can be used to predict occult cervical lymph node metastasis in TSCC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510060, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Qiu-Li
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Fu-Jin
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zong-Yuan
authors.initials: ZY
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: An-Kui
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Qiu-Liang
authors.initials: QL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Hui-Zhong
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guo-Hao
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guang-Pu
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zhu-Ming
authors.initials: ZM
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Quan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011379:Prognosis; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery