title: Tumor thickness as a predictive factor of lymph node metastasis and disease recurrence in T1N0 and T2N0 squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to compare the thickness of primary tumors with the frequency of nodal metastases and survival in patients surgically treated for T1/T2N0 oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective longitudinal study with 74 patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  None of the patients with a tumor thickness (TT) ≤ 7 mm presented with nodal metastasis, whereas 25 of the patients with a TT > 7 mm (51.0%) developed metastases (P < .0001). Multivariate analysis showed that TT > 7 mm was a risk factor for occult nodal metastasis (odds ratio = 8.7; P = .002) with 81.9% accuracy. TT > 10 mm was also a predictive factor of worse disease-free survival in these patients (hazard ratio = 12.2; P = .003).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tumor thickness of greater than 7 mm is predictive of a higher incidence of lymph node metastasis, and a TT > 10 mm is predictive of worse disease-free survival in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral tongue.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: lmatos@amcham.com.br.
authors.forename: Leandro Luongo de
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Manfro
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ricardo Vieira dos
authors.initials: RV
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stabenow
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Evandro Sobroza de
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Mello
authors.affiliation: Pathology Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Venâncio Avancini F
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Alves
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio Roberto
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Pinto
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marco Aurélio Vamondes
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Kulcsar
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lenine Garcia
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Brandão
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Surgery Department, University of São Paulo (USP) Medical School, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Cláudio Roberto
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Cernea
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*