Lymph node ratio as prognosticator in floor of mouth squamous cell carcinoma patients.

BACKGROUND: Recently, lymph node ratio (LNR) has been recognized as an important prognosticator for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, its relevance for the specific subsite floor of mouth (FOM) has not been investigated. This study was conducted to elucidate the prognostic significance of LNR for the subsite FOM among other prognostic factors.

METHODS: A retrospective study of 155 patients with FOM SCC who received primary curative resection and neck dissection was conducted. We analyzed the impact of LNR among other clinicopathologic variables on overall survival (OS) in univariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS: In univariate analysis, patients detected with LNR ≤ 0.07 (cutoff-point: 0.07) showed an 85% 5-year OS rate, whereas for patients with LNR > 0.07 the OS rate reached 25% after 5-years (p < 0.001). The 5-year DFS rate was 72% for patients with LNR ≤ 0.07; on the contrary, patients with LNR > 0.07 the 5-year DFS rate was 17% (p < 0.001). LNR was detected as an independent predictor of OS in multivariate analysis (p = 0.032) for the subsite FOM.

CONCLUSION: We concluded that LNR is an important predictor of prognosis in patients with FOM SCC, LNR should be considered in the choice of adjuvant treatment for these patients.