Prognostic value of histopathological grading systems in lip and tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE

We evaluated the prognostic value of 3 histopathological grading systems in lower lip squamous cell carcinoma (LLSCC) and oral tongue SCC (OTSCC) cases.

METHODS

We examined 62 OTSCC cases and 69 LLSCC cases using the tumor budding/depth (BD), tumor-stroma ratio (TSR), and TSR/tumor budding models and analyzed the relationship between clinicopathological parameters and patient prognosis based on overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS).

RESULTS

In OTSCC cases, T3 and T4 tumors were significantly associated with 5 or more tumor buds and a high BD score. In LLSCC cases, tumor budding was significantly associated with OS, BD score (OS and DFS, P < .001), and TSR/tumor budding score (OS, P = .002; DFS, P = .012). Invasion depth was also associated with OS in LLSCC (P = .019). Multivariate analysis revealed that tumor budding in LLSCC remained significantly associated with OS and BD risk score with DFS, demonstrating their independent prognostic value.

CONCLUSIONS

The BD grading system was associated with clinicopathologic parameters of greater aggressiveness in OTSCC, whereas the BD and TSR/tumor budding systems showed prognostic value in LLSCC. These findings suggest the potential use of these grading systems as adjuvant methods for prognostic analysis in patients with OTSCC and LLSCC.