title: Comparison of clinical and pathological staging in oral cavity cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to compare the clinical and pathological TN stages of patients with oral cavity cancer and to identify the factors leading to staging discrepancies.
  
  
  METHODS
  The medical records of 125 patients (77 males, 48 females; mean age 57 years; range 19 to 82 years) who underwent primary tumor resection and neck dissection simultaneously for oral cavity cancer were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical and pathological TN stages of all patients were compared. Sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of clinical staging were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Computed tomography (CT) with contrast which was used to examine the cervical lymph node metastasis showed a sensitivity of 71.9%, a specificity of 75%, a positive predictive value of 70.6%, and a negative predictive value of 76.1%. The diagnostic accuracy of CT for detecting mandibular invasion was as follows: sensitivity, 92.6%; specificity, 97%; positive predictive value, 96.1%; and negative predictive value, 94.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High correlation between clinical and pathological stages for assessment of mandibular invasion and neck metastasis supports the reliability of CT in our study. Diagnostic contribution of magnetic resonance imaging is necessary for assessment of extrinsic tongue muscle involvement; in cases of tongue cancer which are surrounded by induration on palpation and extending to the floor of the mouth.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Medicine Faculty of Dokuz Eylül University, İzmir, Turkey. ersoy.dogan@deu.edu.tr
authors.forename: Ersoy
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Doğan
authors.forename: Sülen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarıoğlu
authors.forename: Emel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ada
authors.forename: Hasan Oğuz
authors.initials: HO
authors.lastname: Cetinayak
authors.forename: Taner Kemal
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Erdağ
authors.forename: Mustafa Cenk
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Ecevit
authors.forename: Enis Alpin
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Güneri
authors.forename: Ahmet Omer
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Ikiz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008334:Mandible / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008339:Mandibular Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D009333:Neck; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult