Key points
- In general, TNM staging system, which the volume of tumor is not included in the system, has been used to predict the disease prognosis in oral cavity cancer
- Recent studies, the tumor volume has increasing evidence for its possible prognostic implication
- We conducted a retrospective cohort study investigating association between metastic cervical lymph node volume in oral tongue cancer and its prognostic implication
- The result shows presence of a nodal volume of ≥3.95 cm3 was a poor prognostic factor for distant metastasis
- The lymph node volume may be useful in adjunct with the TNM staging system to predict the disease prognosis