Abstract
Objectives:
Investigate the relationship between cervical lymph node metastasis of tongue carcinoma in unaffected and affected sides and factors related to the primary site.
Methods:
Between January 2000 and December 2009, 248 patients with primary N0 tongue carcinoma in the unaffected side were treated radically at the Department of Otolaryngology, Osaka Medical Center for Cancer and Cardiovascular Diseases. We evaluated clinical T stage, tumor size, tumor extension (oral floor, anterior part of the tongue, root of the tongue, depth into the tongue) and clinical N stage for risk factors influencing cervical lymph node metastasis to the unaffected side.
Results:
Fourteen of 248 patients (5.6%) showed cervical node metastasis in the unaffected side. The rate of metastasis to the unaffected side was 17% in patients with primary site extending to the anterior part of the back of the tongue (P < 0.01). The rate was 16% in patients with primary site extending to more than half of the tongue depth (P < 0.05). The rate was 14% in patients with cN+ in the affected side (P < 0.01). Other factors were not associated a significant difference.
Conclusions:
Extending to the anterior part of the back of the tongue, more than half of the tongue depth and cN+ in the affected side were high risk factors of cervical lymph node metastasis to the unaffected side.
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