Moratin J, Metzger K, Kansy K, et al. - In patients suffering from oral squamous cell carcinoma, researchers validated the prognostic significance of the lymph node ratio (LNR) in regard to different anatomical subsites. To determine the rates of primary metastasis and local and regional disease recurrence, a cohort of 430 individuals were studied. To assess the prognostic impact for different subsites, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was performed. For cancer of different anatomical subsites of the head and neck, significantly differing rates of primary metastasis and loco-regional disease recurrence were observed. ROC curve analysis also indicated that LNR has prognostic relevance in subsets of cancer. The LNR of cancer located in the soft palate and floor of the mouth displayed weak or no connection with the clinical result. More sensitive consideration of the LNR as a factor in risk assessment and treatment decision is needed, as the anatomical subsite plays a crucial role in its clinical outcome impact.