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Comparative analysis of clinical and pathological lymph node staging data in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma patients treated at the General Hospital Vienna


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Figure 1

Kaplan Meier curves for the complete patient group (A) and according to primary tumour sites (B).
Hyp = hypopharyngeal carcinoma; Lar = laryngeal carcinoma; Oc = oral cavity carcinoma; Oroph = oropharyngeal carcinoma
Kaplan Meier curves for the complete patient group (A) and according to primary tumour sites (B). Hyp = hypopharyngeal carcinoma; Lar = laryngeal carcinoma; Oc = oral cavity carcinoma; Oroph = oropharyngeal carcinoma

Prevalence of regional lymph node involvement according to tumour site

Primary tumour localization

Lymph Node Level Hypopharynx (n = 15) Larynx (n = 9) Oral cavity (n = 30) Oropharynx (n = 33) % of total collective
I 2 (13.3%) 1 (11.1%) 5 (16.7%) 6 (18.2%) 14 (16.1%)
II 8 (53.3%) 4 (44.4%) 22 (73.3%) 18 (54.4%) 52 (59.8%)
III 3 (20%) 4 (44.4%) 13 (43.3%) 15 (45.5%) 35 (40.2%)
IV 4 (26.7%) 2 (22.2%) 7 (23.3%) 5 (15.2%) 18 (20.7%)
V 2 (13.3%) 1 (11.1%) 4 (13.3%) 1 (3%) 8 (9.2%)

Clinical and pathological lymph node staging results in relation to the type of neck dissection performed.

Stage Bilateral neck dissection Unilateral neck dissection Total
pN0 15 6 21
pN1 13 2 15
pN2a 2 0 2
pN2b 32 2 34
pN2c 13 0 13
pN3 2 0 2
Total 77 10 87
cN0 14 3 17
cN1 11 4 15
cN2a 6 0 6
cN2b 21 3 24
cN2c 25 0 25
Total 77 10 87

Statistical analysis of the correlation of involvement of adjacent lymphnode levels

N = 87 LI LII LIII LIV LV
LI Corr. 1
LII Corr. 0.029 1
Sig. 0.791
LIII Corr. 0.040 0.325

Pearson correlation (significance 2-tailed). Correlations are significant below the 0.01 level.

1
Sig. 0.711 0.001
LIV Corr. -0.069 0.113 0.449

Pearson correlation (significance 2-tailed). Correlations are significant below the 0.01 level.

1
Sig. 0.524 0.297 0.000
LV Corr. -0.139 0.088 0.145 0.427

Pearson correlation (significance 2-tailed). Correlations are significant below the 0.01 level.

1
Sig. 0.198 0.419 0.182 0.000

Pre- and postoperative staging results.

Stage Pathological staging Clinical staging p-value
T
1 19 (21.8) 19 (21.8) 0.000

Pearson correlation (significance 2-tailed). Correlations are significant below the 0.01 level

2 42 (48.3) 34 (39.1)
3 14 (16.1) 19 (21.8)
4 12 (13.8) 15 (17.2)
N
0 21 (24.1) 17 (19.5) 0.000

Pearson correlation (significance 2-tailed). Correlations are significant below the 0.01 level

1 15 (17.2) 15 (17.2)
2a 2 (2.3) 6 (6.9)
2b 34 (39.1) 24 (27.6)
2c 13 (14.9) 25 (28.7)
3 2 (2.3) 0 (0)
UICC
I 4 (4.6) 2 (2.3) 0.000

Pearson correlation (significance 2-tailed). Correlations are significant below the 0.01 level

II 12 (13.8) 6 (6.9)
III 11 (12.6) 17 (19.5)
IV 60 (69) 62 (71.3)

Discrepancies of pathological and clinical findings according to imaging type

Number of discrepant results per patient CT (n = 55) MRI (n = 21) CT/MRI (n = 11) Total (n = 87)
0 43.6% 38.1% 36.4% 36 (41.4%)
1 25.5% 23.8% 45.5% 24 (27.6%)
2 18.2% 23.8% 9.1% 16 (18.4%)
3 5.5% 9.5% 0.0% 5 (5.7%)
4 7.3% 4.8% 0.0% 5 (5.7%)
5 0.0% 0.0% 9.1% 1 (1.1%)

Patient characteristics.

Characteristic abs. (rel.) 87 (100)
Age (mean/median) years 58.4/59.0
Male 67 (77.0)
Female 20 (23.0)
Primary tumour site
  Oropharynx 33 (37.9)
  Oral cavity 30 (34.5)
  Larynx 9 (10.3)
  Hypopharynx 15 (17.2)
Localization
  right 42 (48.3)
  left 40 (46.0)
  midline 5 (5.7)

Concordance of pathological and clinical findings according to N stage

Clinical stage Pathological stage

N = 87 pN0 pN1 pN2a pN2b pN2c pN3
cN0 (N = 17) 11 3 0 1 2 0
cN1 (N = 15) 4 6 0 3 2 0
cN2a (N = 6) 1 2 1 2 0 0
cN2b (N = 24) 3 2 0 18 1 0
cN2c (N = 25) 2 2 1 10 8 2
cN3 (N = 0) 0 0 0 0 0 0

List of all cases associated with up- or down-staging according to the preand postoperative regional lymph-node status

No. cT cN Overall clinical stage pT pN Overall pathological stage
Down-staging according to pN status n = 10 (11.5%)
1 2 1 III 1 0 I
2 1 2a IV 1 0 I
3 2 2b IV 1 0 I
4 2 1 III 2 0 II
5 2 1 III 2 0 II
6 2 2b IV 2 0 II
7 1 2b IV 2 0 II
8 3 2c IV 2 0 II
9 3 2b IV 2 1 III
10 2 2c IV 2 1 III
Up-staging according to pN status N = 9 (10.3%)
1 2 0 II 2 1 III
2 3 0 III 4 1 IV
3 2 1 III 2 2b IV
4 2 1 III 2 2b IV
5 3 0 III 3 2b IV
6 2 1 III 2 2b IV
7 2 1 III 3 2c IV
8 1 0 I 1 2c IV
9 1 2b III 1 2c IV
eISSN:
1581-3207
Language:
English
Publication timeframe:
4 times per year
Journal Subjects:
Medicine, Clinical Medicine, Radiology, Internal Medicine, Haematology, Oncology