Lymphatic metastasis in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Objective: Squamous cell carcinoma is the common type of malignancy in head and neck area and it metastasis into the regional lymphnodes. The objective of this study was to evaluate the detection of this metastasis via lymphatic channels around the tumor or via newly formed lymphatics inside the tumor.
Methodology: This case series included twenty patients specimens with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. They were evaluated for lymphangiogenesis by using Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor 3 and KI67 immunohistochemical markers and then the data was correlated with clinicopatological criterias.
Results: High intratumoral and peritumoral lymphatic densities were both found significantly associated with the poor histological differentiation (Exact test p= 0.023). There was no association between intratumoral lymphatic density, peritumoral lymphatic density and the presence of lymph node metastasis, location of the tumor, age, and sex. There was however a significant association between intratumoral lymphatic density and peritumoral lymphatic density (Fisher exact test p=0.001).
Conclusions: This study reveals the existence of intratumoral and peritumoral proliferating lymphatics, but these lymphatics have no correlation with the lymph node metastasis in all the head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cases such as larynx and oral cavity.