New Tumor Budding Evaluation in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas

Cancers, vol. 16, pp. 587

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Tumor budding (TB) is a histomorphological characteristic of the tumor invasion front and it has an impact on the tumor outcome prediction for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) aetiopathology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The average TB score (TB rel) of all tumor-positive marginal sections (n = 443) in the primary tumor was analyzed in the FFPE-fixed tumor slices of 66 patients with HNSCC, and they were compared with cryo-fixed sections. RESULTS: TB rel correlates with tumor aggressiveness (i.e., lymph node metastasis quantity, lymph node ratio, extra capsular growth, Pn1, pV1, grading). The TB scores often vary between the different tumor margins of FFPE sections in the same patient, and in many cases, they differ depending on the fixation method. CONCLUSION: Our data show that a randomly selected marginal cut cannot reliably mirror the TB score, and thus, they cannot predict the prognostic outcome. However, TB rel could be a tool that compensates for differences in TB score analysis. TB score determination in cryo sections seems to be inaccurate compared with TB determination in FFPE.

Authors 7

1. Claudio Cacchi Aachen Institute of Pathology School of Medicine

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

2. Henrike Josephine Fischer Aachen Institute of Immunology School of Medicine

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Immunology, School of Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

3. Kai Wermker

   Klinikum Osnabrück

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillofacial Surgery, Klinikum Osnabrück GmbH, Am Finkenhügel 1, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany

4. Ashkan Rashad Aachen Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery School of Medicine

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

5. Danny David Jonigk Aachen Institute of Pathology School of Medicine

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · German Center for Lung Research · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   German Center for Lung Research (DZL), Breath Hanover, 30625 Hanover, Germany

   Institute of Pathology, School of Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

6. Frank Hölzle Aachen Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery School of Medicine

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany

7. Maurice Klein corresponding Aachen Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery School of Medicine

   Universitätsklinikum Aachen · RWTH Aachen University

   Affiliation as printed

   Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Medicine, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Pauwelsstrasse 30, 52074 Aachen, Germany