A 58-year-old male presents with a 3 cm ulcerative lesion on the lateral tongue. Biopsy confirms squamous cell carcinoma. CT neck shows a single ipsilateral 2.5 cm lymph node with no extranodal extension (ENE). According to AJCC 8th edition TNM staging, what is the N category?
- A N2a
- B N1 ✓
- C N2b
- D N3a
Correct answer: B. N1
Explanation
In AJCC 8th edition for HPV-negative oral cavity SCC, N1 denotes a single ipsilateral lymph node ≤3 cm in greatest dimension with no extranodal extension. N2a is a single ipsilateral node >3 cm but ≤6 cm without ENE, or any node with clinical ENE is N3b. A 2.5 cm single ipsilateral node without ENE correctly classifies as N1.
Reference: Dhingra Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 7th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.