Biopsy examination of squamous cell carcinoma of the tongue: Source of significant prognostic information?

Histological analysis of tumour resection for squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the tongue yields prognostic information. We analysed histological slides of biopsy and tumour resection specimens using an adapted malignancy grading score and analysed variables of neck dissections. There was moderate correlation between biopsy and tumour resection using malignancy grading scores (correlation coefficient 0.45); good agreement of tumour grade (79%), tumour depth (76%), and type of invasive front (80%), but correlation was only fair to moderate (kappa =0.38, kappa = 0.51, and kappa = 0.41, respectively). Correlation of the biopsy grading score and invaded nodes in the neck, extra capsular spread, and soft tissue disease was not significant. (C) 2009 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.