Evaluation of microscopic disease in oral tongue cancer using whole-mount histopathologic techniques: implications for the management of head-and-neck cancers.

Purpose: To map the distribution of microscopic disease (MD) in head-and-neck cancer by analyzing digital images of whole-mounted serial sections of tongue cancer specimens.

Methods And Materials: Ten T1-3 oral tongue cancer specimens were evaluated. The specimens were sliced into 3-mm blocks from which one or more 4-μm slides were taken and digitized to create whole-mounted serial sections.