title: The predictive role of infiltrative growth pattern in early pharyngeal cancers.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The infiltrative growth pattern may predict tumor depth and lymph node metastasis. INF-a seems to fall into a low-risk category, and no additional treatment may be required immediately.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Tumor depth is a predictor of lymph node metastasis in early pharyngeal cancers. An infiltrative growth pattern is also a prognostic factor in other cancers. This study aimed to elucidate the predictive role of infiltrative growth pattern in early pharyngeal cancers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight lesions from 37 patients who had undergone trans-oral resection of pharyngeal cancers were included. According to the Japanese Classification of Esophageal Cancer, infiltrative growth pattern was classified into three groups; INF-a, INF-b, and INF-c. The correlation between infiltrative growth pattern and tumor depth, cervical lymph node metastasis was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 38 lesions, 25 were INF-a, nine were INF-b, and four were INF-c lesions. Lymph node metastasis was observed in three INF-b and one INF-c lesions. In contrast, no INF-a had lymph node metastasis. All INF-a lesions showed shallow invasion of the sub-epithelium; INF-b and INF-c lesions had significantly greater depth than INF-a.
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ebisumoto
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okami
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Pathology, Tokai University , Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Go
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ogura
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Ryousuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Kosuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kaneda
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Tomoya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanakita
authors.affiliation: b 2 Department of Pathology, Tokai University , Kanagawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoya
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: a 1 Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iida
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007828:Laryngoscopy; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009333:Neck; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D010610:Pharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary / Q000601:surgery; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
keywords: TOVS; infiltrative growth pattern; lymph node metastasis; pharyngeal cancer; vessel infiltration