A novel tumor: Specimen index for assessing adequacy of resection in early stage oral tongue cancer Journal Article


Authors: Montero, P. H.; Palmer, F. L.; Shuman, A. G.; Patel, P. D.; Boyle, J. O.; Kraus, D. H.; Morris, L. G.; Shah, J. P.; Shaha, A. R.; Singh, B.; Wong, R. J.; Ganly, I.; Patel, S. G.
Article Title: A novel tumor: Specimen index for assessing adequacy of resection in early stage oral tongue cancer
Abstract: Purpose: Surgical margin status frequently affects decisions regarding adjuvant treatment; however, reporting and interpretation of surgical margins is subject to considerable subjectivity because of many factors including the adequacy of resection. We developed a novel measure of the adequacy of surgical resection, the tumor: specimen index (TSI), and tested its utility at predicting clinical outcomes in a retrospective cohort study. Patients and methods: An institutional database was queried to identify previously untreated patients with T1 and T2 oral tongue cancer who underwent surgery during 1985-2009 (n = 433). The TSI, a geometric mean representing the percentage of the surgical specimen that is occupied by the tumor in average single dimension, was calculated from the largest measured lengths, widths, and heights of the tumor in relation to the entire surgical specimen. Multivariate analyses of locoregional recurrence-free probability (LRRFP) and disease-specific survival (DSS) were performed with commonly accepted prognosticators in addition to TSI and surgical margins status. Results: The mean TSI was 41 (range 11-90; SD 14). Surgical margin status was associated with TSI; margins were negative in 84% of patients with TSI < 45 and in 63% of patients with TSI ≥ 45 (p < 0.001). TSI ≥ 45 was associated with worse LRRFP (57% vs 76%, p < 0.001) and worse DSS (68% vs 85%, p < 0.001). In a multivariate analysis that did not include TSI, surgical margin status independently predicted LRRFP (p = 0.014) but not DSS. When TSI was included, only TSI, and not surgical margin status, was an independent predictor of both LRRFP (p = 0.002) and DSS (p = 0.011). Conclusion: The tumor: specimen index is an easily-calculated metric for estimating the adequacy of 3-dimensional resection in T1 and T2 oral tongue cancer that independently predicts oncologic outcomes. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords: tumor volume; specimen handling; head and neck cancer; tumor burden; outcomes
Journal Title: Oral Oncology
Volume: 50
Issue: 3
ISSN: 1368-8375
Publisher: Elsevier Inc.  
Date Published: 2014-03-01
Start Page: 213
End Page: 220
Language: English
DOI: 10.1016/j.oraloncology.2013.11.009
PROVIDER: scopus
PUBMED: 24332395
DOI/URL:
Notes: Export Date: 3 March 2014 -- CODEN: EJCCE -- Source: Scopus
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MSK Authors
  1. Dennis Kraus
    268 Kraus
  2. Ashok R Shaha
    697 Shaha
  3. Jay O Boyle
    148 Boyle
  4. Bhuvanesh Singh
    242 Singh
  5. Snehal G Patel
    412 Patel
  6. Richard J Wong
    412 Wong
  7. Luc Morris
    278 Morris
  8. Ian Ganly
    430 Ganly
  9. Purvi Daxesh Patel
    5 Patel
  10. Jatin P Shah
    721 Shah
  11. Andrew Gregg Shuman
    24 Shuman
  12. Frank Palmer
    82 Palmer