title: Prognostic impact of different TNM-based stage groupings for oral squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of different TNM-based stage groupings proposed in the literature.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a retrospective analysis of 300 patients with primary oral squamous cell carcinoma (T1-4, N0-2, M0). The stage grouping systems of the sixth edition of the Union Internationale Contre le Cancer (UICC), T and N Integer Score (TANIS), the Snyderman scheme, the Hart scheme, and the Berg scheme were tested for their prognostic significance. Disease free survival (DFS) was plotted by Kaplan-Meier analysis. Prognostic factors were identified through univariate and multivariate analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  On univariate analysis, all systems revealed discriminatory power for DFS; however, on multivariate analysis, only the Hart scheme predicted DFS. The TANIS did not have a better prognostic ability than the UICC stage grouping.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unlike in previous studies, the UICC stage grouping did perform worse than other TNM-based stage groupings, which may be due to the alterations made in the sixth edition.
authors.affiliation: Department for Oral and Cranio-Maxillo and Facial Plastic Surgery, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. mattheskreppel@yahoo.de
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kreppel
authors.forename: Uta
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Drebber
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rothamel
authors.forename: Hans-Theodor
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Eich
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kübler
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Scheer
authors.forename: Joachim E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Zöller
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D018572:Disease-Free Survival; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies