Immunohistochemical expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma in relation to proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis.

OBJECTIVES: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is by far the most common malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity. A number of etiologic factors have been implicated in its development. During the past few decades, a particular focus has been placed on the investigation of valid biomarkers predictive of cancer behavior and cervical lymph node metastasis in head and neck Squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).The present study was designed to investigate the expression of epidermal growth factor in these tumors in relation to proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical (IHC) evaluation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression in 40 retrospective OSCC specimens and its correlation with proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), antiapoptotic antibody (P53), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and D2-40 monoclonal antibodies (Mab), in relation to the clinicopathological parameters. RESULTS: Data revealed positive EGFR immunoreactivity in 35(87.5%) cases. There was a statistically significant correlation regarding EGFR extent score with respect to intratumoral lymphatic vessel density (ILVD) (r = 0.35) as well as EGFR intensity score with respect to ILVD and peritumoral lymphatic vessel density (PLVD) (r = 0.33, r = 0.36 respectively). EGFR expression was not correlated with the clinicopathological parameters. CONCLUSIONS: EGFR is expressed by most of the cases. EGFR correlation with D2- 40 positive lymphatic vessels suggests a higher tendency of OSCC for lymphatic dissemination. Lack of correlation among the studied markers suggests their independent effect on tumor behavior.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity: a case series analysis of clinical presentation and histological grading of 1,425 cases from Iraq.

Peoples in Iraq face a mixture of health hazards associated with poverty. Oral cancer is a major public health issue worldwide; it remains a highly lethal and disfiguring disease. It is primarily a disease of epithelial origin. A total of 1,425 cases of histologically diagnosed squamous cell carcinoma collected from the main centers of pathology in Iraq were analyzed according to age, sex, site, patient complaints at the time of presentation, and histological grading. Patients at their fifth decade of life were the most commonly affected with a male-to-female ratio of 2:1. The lower lip was the most commonly affected site followed by the tongue. The most common clinical complain was ulceration and swelling. More than 70% of the cases were well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. Oral cancer is increasingly seen as a major health problem-In line with general trend in the region, the need for interprofessional health care delivery approaches for reducing oral cancer mortality and improving patient's quality of life.

DNA histochemical analysis in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Recent years have witnessed an increasing emphasis on the role of nuclear DNA and its application in experimental pathological diagnosis to predict prognosis and management of certain neoplasm. AIMS: to establish objective criteria for the degree of differentiation and histochemical quantitative of nuclear DNA of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using microspectrophotometric analysis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study was conducted on histologic materials from patient with OSCC. Two histological grading systems were used; Broder's and invasive front grading system were recorded. Microspectrophotometry was applied on Feulgen-stained sections to determine the quality of tumour nuclear DNA content in two different histological grading systems of OSCC. RESULTS: Nuclear DNA content increased significantly with decreasing tissue differentiation as well with increasing tumour size. CONCLUSION: The grading system and DNA content provides more objective and accurate criteria which relate the morphologic finding to biologic activity and growth patterns of oral cancer as compared to histologic differentiation alone.