Squamous cell carcinoma antigen concentration in fine needle aspiration samples: A new method to detect cervical lymph node metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the additional diagnostic value of squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC‐Ag) in cervical lymph node fine needle aspiration (FNA) samples for the detection of regional metastases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS: In 149 FNA samples of 114 patients, SCC‐Ag concentration was retrospectively analyzed and associated with diagnosis to establish a cutoff concentration in relation to sensitivity and specificity of HNSCC detection. RESULTS: SCC‐Ag was elevated in lymph nodes from patients with HNSCC compared to lymph nodes from other patients (P < 0.01). With 0.3 μg/L as the cutoff concentration, SCC‐Ag has 96% sensitivity for detecting HNSCC. CONCLUSIONS: SCC‐Ag in FNA is a reliable test for detecting HNSCC in cervical lymph nodes.