Implication of the New AJCC pT Classification of SCC of the Lip Comparing With Other Oral Subsites

Objective To determine the implication of the new AJCC staging system for pT classification in a cohort of patients with SCC of the lip mucosa and compare it to other oral cavity sites. Methods Retrospective cohort of 744 patients treated between 2002 and 2017, by the Head and Neck Surgery Department of the University of Sao Paulo. Results Of 95 lip patients, 42 had pT upstage (58.1% of pT1 to pT2‐3 and 50% of pT2 to pT3). Similar DFS/OS observed for those pT1 maintained or upstaged to pT2‐3, pT2 patients upstaged to pT3 presented worse OS (49.4% versus 92.3%, P = .032). The comparison between lip and other mouth topographies, denoted better prognosis for pT1‐2, but not for pT3‐4a. Lip tumors had lower DOI, rates of perineural/angiolymphatic invasion, nodal metastasis, recurrence, and death. Conclusion The inclusion of DOI to the new pT classification better stratifies patients with SCC of the lip mucosa upstaged to pT3 by assessing inferior OS. Level of Evidence 3 Laryngoscope, 131:E2770–E2776, 2021