ESTABLISHING FACTORS RELEVANT TO PROGNOSI S IN PATIENTS WITH CARCINOMA OF THE OROPHARYNX OR HYPOPHARYNX

The influence of pathomorphological parameters (keratinization, gradin g, nucleolar organizer region (NOR) counts, automatic analysis of micr ographs) on prognosis was determined for 284 patients with carcinomas of the oropharynx or hypopharynx. Keratinization was found to have no influence on prognosis. Histopathological grading and automatic analys is of micrographs with mark 22 were seen to be of major relevance. Pat ients with grading 3 were noted to have a poorer prognosis than those with gradings of 1 or 2. This latter finding was statistically signifi cant. Although the absolute NOR counts had no influence on prognosis, they did show a statistically significant effect on the extent of lymp hogenic formation of metastases. Cox regression analysis of clinical a nd pathomorphological parameters revealed that combination therapy, tu mor grading, and mark 22 of automatic analysis of micrographs were imp ortant factors relevant to prognosis.