title: Immunocompetent cell reaction in prognostic evaluation of squamous cell carcinoma of the lip.
abstract: An intimate interplay between the host factors and the tumour seems to be operative in lip cancer, and is undoubtedly capable of modifying the clinical course of the disease. A series of 70 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the lip was assessed by light microscopy and using histochemical staining for acid alpha-naphthyl acetate esterase to demonstrate the morphological manifestations of tumour-host reactivity. The factors analysed include stromal reactions; intensity of the immunocompetent cell infiltrate including mast cells, and the subpopulations, i.e. B or T lymphocytes and mononuclear phagocytes (MPS cells). B lymphocytes far outnumbered the T and MPS cells in all the infiltrates studied, the percentages of the latter two cell types being inversely related to the intensity of the infiltrate, however. The cell composition in the infiltrates lacked statistically demonstrable effect on the frequency of metastases and the 5-year survival, as did the stromal mast cell reaction, too.
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007121:Immunocompetence; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D011379:Prognosis