Lymph node yield as a prognostic factor in clinically node negative oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: To determine the prognostic significance of nodal yield in patients with clinically node-negative (cN0) oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC).

Methods: This retrospective observational study included 40 patients with cN0 OCSCC who underwent treatment with at least 6 months of follow-up data from November 2012 to April 2020. We recorded the variables, including patient demographics, cancer site, tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) staging, type of treatment, lymph node yield (LNY), histopathologic diagnosis, and recurrence.