KBB-Forum 2004 , Cilt 3, Sayı 1

THE EFFECT OF TUMOR THICKNESS TO OCCULT METASTASES RATIOS AND APPROACH TO NECK IN EARLY STAGED (T1-2 N0) ORAL TONGUE CARCINOMA

Dr. Sinan KOCATÜRK1, Dr. Ünsal HAN2, Dr. Ata Türker ARIKÖK2, Dr. Aykut BABİLA3, Dr. Binnur ÖNAL2
1Cumhuriyet Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, KBB Anabilim Dalı, Sivas, Türkiye
2SSK Ankara Eğitim Hastanesi, Patoloji Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye
3SSK Ankara Eğitim Hastanesi, II.KBB Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye
Aim: In the present study, the tumor thickness and occult metastases to neck in early stage tongue carcinoma was evaluated and approach to neck was dissucced.

Patients and Methods: 22 patients who had early stage squamous cell carcinoma (T1-2NoMo) in the oral tongue and no clinical metastasis in the neck have been included in the study. Elective neck dissection with primary tumor resection have been done all the patients at the same procedure. Occult metastases ratio and the affect of tumor thickness to occult metasseses was evaluated by the histopathological exemination.

Results: Micrometastatic disease (pN+) has been detected in 8 patients (36%). Occult metastases ratios was 28% for T1, 40% for T2 tumors. The avarage tumor thickness was 3.71 mm for T1 and 8.33 mm for T2 tumors. No occult metastases have been detected tumors under 3 mm thickness. Although the tumor thickness was increasing according to T stage (p<0.05), the correlation between thickness and occult metastases was not found to be statistically significant (p>0.05).

Discussion: The elective neck dissection should be done in all early stage tongue carcinoma because of high occult metastese risk accept tumors under 3 mm thickness. Keywords : occult metastases, tongue carcinoma, approach to the neck