Estimation of prognosis of tongue cancer using tumor depth and margin shape obtained from ultrasonography

Objectives To evaluate the feasibility of using ultrasound-obtained tumor depth (TD) and margin shape (MS) to predict the prognosis of tongue cancer. Methods Fifty-two Japanese patients with tongue cancer who underwent ultrasound examination between 2007 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. TD was measured at the deepest portion of the tumor. MS was classified as “pressure,” “wedge-shaped,” or “permeated.” Prognosis was assessed by local recurrence, lymph node metastasis, and overall survival rate. We classified the patients into a good prognosis group and poor prognosis group. Relationships among TD, MS, and patient prognosis were evaluated using Spearman rank correlation. A regression formula to predict prognosis using TD and MS was derived. Results The correlation between TD and MS was significant (Spearman rank correlation ρ = 0.552, p