title: Vascular endothelial growth factor C (VEGF-C) expression predicts metastasis in tongue cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated predictive factors for cervical lymph node metastasis of tongue squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  We present a retrospective analysis of 90 patients with T1-2 N0 SCC who underwent primary excision as initial treatment without preoperative radiotherapy or chemotherapy. We examined the clinicopathologic factors (gender, age, clinical stage, surgical margin, grade of differentiation, lymphatic invasion, tumor depth of invasion, pattern of invasion [POI]) and immunohistochemical factors (vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF]-A and VEGF-C expression) to predict the probability of lymph node metastasis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The local progression-free 5-year survival rate was 100%. Tumor depth of invasion (≥4 mm, P = .022), POI (score >4, P = .000), and VEGF-C expression (P = .008) were associated with the lymph node metastasis of tongue SCC in a multiple logistic regression analysis (odds ratios [ORs]: 5.075, 17.383, and 9.533, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The local control rate of tongue SCC in the early stages has significantly improved as a result of development of surgical techniques. On the other hand, we believe that tumor depth of invasion (≥4 mm), POI, and VEGF-C expression all need to be considered in the preoperative and postoperative planning stages for tongue cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan. Electronic address: Taikimatsui0818@yahoo.co.jp.
authors.forename: Taiki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsui
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shigeta
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Oral Oncology, Nagasaki University Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Nagasaki, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Umeda
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahide
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Komori
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000378:metabolism; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014062:Tongue Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000378:metabolism; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D042582:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor C