Epidermoid carcinoma of the tongue. Histologic grading in the clinical evaluation.

In a series of 49 patients with epidermoic carcinoma of the tongue microscopy of the primary biopsy was performed, using a multifactorial grading system consisting of 8 parameters, each of 4 grades. The score value (degree of malignancy) revealed a statistically significant correlation with the frequency of regional metastases. As this was particularly marked in the T1 and T2 groups, it seems to be an important supplement to the clinical evaluation of risk groups.