Abstract

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is the most common carcinoma of the oral cavity, and according to a recent analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, patients with OTSCC are more likely to experience cause-specific mortality than patients with SCC of the other oral subsites (1). The traditional tumor (T), lymph node (N) and metastasis (M) staging system has been the cornerstone for clinical classification of OTSCC, although it has been widely criticized for its low prognostic value, especially in early-stage cases (2,3).