Optimizing Prognostic Assessment in High-Risk Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinomas: The Impact of Tumor Budding and a Novel Histomorphological Scoring System.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC) pose significant clinical challenges, particularly in high-risk cases with positive lymph node status. Current prognostic biomarkers are often costly and methodologically demanding. In this regard, histomorphological biomarkers such as tumor buds (TB) and poorly differentiated clusters (PDC) represent promising, cost-effective prognostic indicators that are relatively straightforward to implement.

Methods

The prognostic significance of TB and PDC, in conjunction with stromal tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (sTILs) and the tumor-stroma ratio (TSR), was evaluated in a cohort of 50 high-risk, nodal-positive HNSCC patients. Histomorphological features were assessed using standard hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining, while

SUBMITTER: Knebel M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11829162 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature