Fractal analysis of nuclear histology integrates tumor and stromal features into a single prognostic factor of the oral cancer microenvironment

Table 1 Clinico-pathological characteristics of the patient cohort

	# Of cases	(%)	nFD low^a	nFD high^a	FEP- value	DSS (LRP- value)
Number of events	-	-	33	1	-	-
Gender					0.81	0.457
Male	70	65.42	53	17
Female	37	34.58	29	8
Age	107	NA	61.1^b	59.8^b	0.68	nd
pT-Stage					0.01	0.01
pT1/pT2 (low)	61	57.01	41	20
pT3/pT4 (high)	44	41.12	40	4
Missing	2	1.87	1	1
pN-status					0.25	0.02
pN0	66	61.68	48	18
pN1/pN2	41	38.32	34	7
Smoking history					0.60	0.27
Never	28	26.168	20	8
Ever	78	72.897	61	17
Missing	1	0.935	1	0
Alcohol history					0.43	0.14
Never	11	10.28	10	1
Ever	57	53.27	43	14
Missing	39	36.45	29	10
Tumor differentiation					0.23	0.18
Well	15	14.02	10	5
Moderate	56	52.34	47	9
Poor	12	11.21	9	3
Missing	24	22.43	16	8
Treatment					0.01	0.03
Surgery	34	31.78	20	14
Surgery + RT	73	68.22	62	11
Ki67
Low	43	76.19	40	3	0.001	0.002
High	62	23.81	40	22
LI
Low	53	50.47	48	5	0.001	0.002
High	52	49.43	32	20

^aCut-point was determined using X-tile.
^bMean age.
nFD: nuclear fractal dimension; pT-stage: pathological T-stage; pN status: pathological node status; RT: radiotherapy; FE: Fisher’s exact; LR: logrank, LI: lymphocytic infiltration. Significant P - values are shown in BOLD.

ISSN: 1471-2407