Prognostic value of lymph node ratio in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Yoav P Talmi; Robert P Takes; Eran E Alon; Iain J Nixon; Fernando López; Remco de Bree; Juan P Rodrigo; Ashok R Shaha; Gyorgy B Halmos; Alessandra Rinaldo; Alfio Ferlito

doi:10.1002/hed.25080

Prognostic value of lymph node ratio in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Head Neck. 2018 May;40(5):1082-1090. doi: 10.1002/hed.25080. Epub 2018 Feb 2.

Authors

Yoav P Talmi¹, Robert P Takes², Eran E Alon¹, Iain J Nixon³, Fernando López^{4

5}, Remco de Bree⁶, Juan P Rodrigo^{4

5}, Ashok R Shaha⁷, Gyorgy B Halmos⁸, Alessandra Rinaldo⁹, Alfio Ferlito¹⁰

Affiliations

¹ Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, the Chaim Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel and the Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Israel.
² Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
³ Ear, Nose, and Throat Department, NHS Lothian, Lauriston Building, Lauriston Place, Edinburgh, UK.
⁴ Department of Otolaryngology, Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias, and Instituto Universitario de Oncología del Principado de Asturias, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain.
⁵ Head and Neck Oncology Unit, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Cáncer (CIBERONC), Madrid, Spain.
⁶ Department of Head and Neck Surgical Oncology, University Medical Center Utrecht Cancer Center, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
⁷ Head and Neck Service, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York, New York.
⁸ Department of Otorhinolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Groningen University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands.
⁹ University of Udine School of Medicine, Udine, Italy.
¹⁰ Coordinator of the International Head and Neck Scientific Group.

PMID: 29394461
DOI: 10.1002/hed.25080

Abstract

Background: Lymph node ratio (LNR) is increasingly reported as a potential prognostic tool. The purpose of this review was to analyze the available literature on the prognostic significance of LNR in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

Methods: A PubMed internet search was performed and articles meeting selection criteria were reviewed.

Results: Twenty-eight studies were identified in the literature dealing with the prognostic value of LNR. The published results are variable with a range of cutoff values of LNR associated with prognosis (overall survival [OS] and/or disease-specific survival [DSS]) between 0.02 and 0.20, with an average of 0.09.

Conclusion: The LNR is reported to be of value in assessing prognosis in the patients with HNSCC. Although it is easy to calculate and could be considered in the staging of these patients, the currently available evidence in the literature does not yet provide a solid base for implementation.

Keywords: head and neck squamous cell carcinoma; lymph node metastasis; lymph node ratio; neck dissection; prognosis.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Head and Neck Neoplasms / mortality
Head and Neck Neoplasms / pathology*
Head and Neck Neoplasms / surgery
Humans
Lymph Node Excision
Lymphatic Metastasis
Neoplasm Staging
Prognosis
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / mortality
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / pathology*
Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck / surgery