Tumor Characteristics
Patients had 3 T1 (6.4%), 11 T2 (23.4%), 12 T3 (25.5%), and 21 T4
(44.7%) tumors, respectively, with a median tumor size of 3.9 ± 1.9 cm
(range: 1.0 - 8.8 cm). At initial presentation, 30 (63.8%), 6 (12.8%),
and 7 (14.9%) patients had N0, N1 and N2 disease, while cervical lymph
node classification (Nx) was unknown in 4 patients (8.5%). Altogether
we had 3 stage I (6.4%), 8 stage II (17.0%), 11 stage III (23.4%),
and 25 stage IV (53.2%) malignancies (Table I).