The prognostic significance of tumor budding and cell nest size in
laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma
Abstract
Background: Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (LSCC) is a commonly
occurring malignancy in the head and neck region. However, due to the
heterogeneity of primary tumor sites, tumor behavior, and molecular
mechanisms, there is currently no consensus on the accuracy of
clinicopathological prognostic factors for individual cases. Tumor
histopathologic behavior remains a crucial factor in predicting
aggressiveness. Recent studies have shown that peritumoral tumor budding
(TB) combined with cell nest size (CNS) is a reliable marker for
predicting lymph node metastasis, advanced cancer prognosis, and
therapeutic response in SCCs of different origins. Materials and
methods: In this retrospective cross-sectional study, we analyzed 128
LSCC cases that underwent total laryngectomy at Amir Alam Hospital. We
evaluated TB and CNS based on the Boxberg et al. study. Results: Our
study demonstrated a significant correlation between TB, and nodal
involvement (P value=0.015), vascular invasion (P value=0.035), and
mortality rate (P value=0.001), as well as a significant statistical
correlation between high TB and extra-laryngeal extension (P
value=0.006), clinical stage (P value=0.011), and mortality rate (P
value=0.001). Moreover, small nest size was also associated with the
clinical stage (P value=0.047), extra-laryngeal extension (P
value=0.015), and mortality rate (P value=0.001). Based on our results,
TB, CNS, and clinical stage are independent prognostic factors for
mortality rate and are correlated with disease-free survival.
Conclusion: Given the effect of TB and CNS on the overall prognosis and
survival of patients with LSCC, evaluating these two factors on routine
H&E microscopic examination of LSCC specimens is recommended to
facilitate individualized risk assessment and treatment planning.