Effect Of Depth Of Invasion On Lymph Node Metastasis In Early Stage

Introduction: Lip cancer is the most common type of cancer in the oral cavity. It occurs in the lower lip at a rate of 90%-95%, and among lower lip tumors, squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common type. Objective: In this study, we investigated the influence of the depth of invasion on the decision for an elective lymph node dissection in cases with early-stage (T1-T2 N0 M0) SCC of the lower lip. Methods: Thirty-two patients that were surgically treated were retrospectively reviewed. Results: Three patients had metastatic lymph node, and their mean depth of invasion was 10.60 mm. Lymph node metastasis significantly increased in tumors with a depth of invasion larger than 5 mm (P = 0.033). Conclusion: The rate of cervical lymph node metastasis increases as the depth of invasion increases.