The Relationship between Perineural Invasion, Peritumoural Inflammation, and Cervical Lymph Node Metastases in Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Introduction: Amongst all the malignant tumours, laryngeal cancer is found in 2.2% of males and 0.4% of females. Histopathologically, 90-95% of all laryngeal cancer is Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC). Tumour stage and cervical lymph node metastases are the most influential factors in determining a worsening prognosis. Aim: To investigate the relationship between perineural invasion, peritumoural inflammation, other commonly used prognostic parameters such as tumour stage, and cervical lymph node metastases in laryngeal SCC which contribute to the follow-up and treatment of patients. Materials and Methods: The pathology archive at Istanbul Sisli Hamidiye Etfal Education and Research Hospital was utilised for this research. Retrospective analysis of data on 110 cases of laryngectomy and neck dissection specimens was performed. Cases diagnosed as SCC were included in the study. Histopathologic analysis was conducted on the paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 110 cases. The data were encoded, transmitted to a computer, and analysed using SPSS (R) 20.0. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used to compare the groups. Statistical significance was considered to be p-values <= 0.050. Results: The rate of cervical lymph node metastases was higher in the presence of perineural invasion, mild peritumoural inflammation, and advanced tumour stage. A statistically significant relationship was identified between perineural invasion, peritumoural inflammation, tumour stage, and the rate of cervical lymph node metastases in case of SCC of the larynx. Conclusion: Cervical lymph node metastases should be carefully investigated in the presence of perineural invasion and mild peritumoural inflammation in case of SCC of the larynx.