CLINICOPATHOLOGICAL ANALYSIS AND CD44 EXPRESSION IN ORAL AND OROPHARYNGEAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33279/jkcd.v15i02.902Keywords:
Carcinoma, Basal cell, Hyaluronan receptors, Mouth neoplasms, Oropharyngeal neoplasms, Carcinoma, Squamous cellAbstract
Objectives: To assess the relationship between CD44 expression in malignant cells, clinicopathological findings, and prognostic outcomes in oral squamous cell carcinoma.
Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective comparative study utilized excisional and incisional biopsy specimens from oral and oropharynx, collected at Akbar Niazi Teaching Hospital, Islamabad, between September 2022 and September 2024. Among 40 specimens, 13 were well-differentiated, 19 were moderate, and 8 were poor squamous cell carcinomas, with or without nodes metastasis. These specimens were randomly selected for CD44 immunohistochemical staining.
Results: The majority of patients were between 50 and 75 years old (mean was 62.5±7.2 years), and males were 77.5%. The mean tumor depth was 0.7±0.4 mm. T1 tumors were the most common (55%), with the majority exhibiting N0 nodal status (62.5%). Grade 2 tumors were the most frequent (47.5%), while stage I tumors had the highest prevalence (40%). Strong CD44 expression was detected in 72.5% cases, with basal cell invasion present in 55%. Lesions were most frequently located on the tongue (30%) and vocal cords (25%). Insignificant difference was observed in age, gender, tumor size, nodal status, or basal cell invasion across expression levels (p > 0.05). A notable variation in tumor grades was identified across different expression levels (p = 0.022).
Conclusion: Reduced CD44 expression in aggressive OSCC, characterized by poor differentiation and lymphnode involvement, indicates a potential association with disease progression. CD44 may help preserve tissue structure, and its loss could serve as a potential marker of poor prognosis.
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