Preoperative Assessment and Histopathological Upgrading In Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Oral Tongue

Hurtamina Khan, Sameer Qureshi, S. M. Tariq Rafi

Abstract

Objective

To assess preoperative extent of tumor based upon clinical examination and radiological findings and its relation with histo-pathology report for final staging.

Study design

Retrospective review.

Place & Duration of study

Department of ENT & Head and Neck Surgery, Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Center Karachi, from June 2014 to June 2018.

Methodology

The file records of the biopsy proven patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral tongue who underwent primary surgical resection and neck dissection, were reviewed. Clinical staging of oral tongue tumor was done preoperatively by clinical examination and radiographic investigations including CT scan with contrast of oral cavity and neck. All patients underwent primary excision with neck dissection where indicated. Postoperatively pathological staging of tumor was done. Data was entered into pre designed form and analyzed with descriptive statistics.

Results

A total of180 patients met the inclusion criteria. There were 125 (69.45%) males and 55 (30.55%) females. Stage 1 oral tongue carcinoma was upgraded in eight patients out of 46 patients into stage 2, stage 2 pTNM upstaged only in 12 patients into stage 3 out of 69 patients. In six out of 65 patients clinical staging differed pathologically from stage 3 to stage 4. Of the total 154 (85.55%) remained in same pTNM and cTNM and in 26 (14.44%) patients clinical staging differed and upgraded.

Conclusion

The pathological staging in squamous carcinoma of oral tongue differed and up-staged from preoperative clinical staging in only 14.44% patients.

Key words

Oral tongue carcinoma, Staging of tumor, Neck dissection.