Integrating Depth of Invasion in T Classification Improves the Prognostic Performance of the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging System for Laryngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma: a Retrospective Multicenter Study

Abstract

Background: It has been recognized that depth of invasion (DOI) is closely associated with patient survival for all types of cancer. The purpose of this study was to determine the optimal threshold and prognostic value in laryngeal squamous carcinoma (LSCC). Most importantly, we evaluated the prognostic performance of five candidate modified T-classification models in patients with LSCC. Methods: LSCC patients from Harbin Medical University Cancer Hospital and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Cancer Hospital were divided into training group (n=412) and validation group (n=147). The primary outcomes were overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS), and the effect of DOI on prognosis was analyzed using a multivariable regression model. We identified the optimal model based on its simplicity, goodness of fit and Harrell's consistency index. Further independent testing was performed on the external validation queue. The nomograms was constructed to predict an individual's OS rate at one, three, and five years.Results: In multivariate analysis, we found significant associations between DOI and OS (Depth of Medium-risk invasion HR, 2.631; P <0.001. Depth of high-risk invasion: HR, 5.287; P <0.001) and RFS(Depth of high-risk invasion: HR, 1.937; P =0.016). Model 5 outperformed the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system based on a low Akaike information criterion score, improvement in the concordance index, and Kaplan-Meier curves.Conclusions: Inclusion of DOI in the current AJCC staging system can improve the differentiation of T classification in LSCC patients.