The suitability of paraffin-embedded material to predict metastatic potential of oral squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND
The presence of regional metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an important prognostic factor. This study was undertaken to identify histological features and biological markers from paraffin-embedded primary OSCC that may predict the presence of regional metastases.


METHODS
Fifty-three en-bloc primary OSCC resections were divided into two groups, 26 with lymph node metastases and 27 without metastases. The pattern of infiltration, presence of vascular or perineural infiltration and tumour necrosis were evaluated while expression of p53, p21 and Rb were assessed in the two groups. DNA ploidy status was also determined with a flow cytometer.


RESULTS
The presence of DNA aneuploidy was found to be the only statistically significant predictor of regional metastases. Seventy-seven per cent of the primary OSCC with lymph node metastases showed DNA aneurploidy.


CONCLUSIONS
DNA flow cytometry obtained from archival material could be used as a parameter to predict regional metastases.
Van Heerden
W F P
WF
Department of Oral Pathology and Oral Biology, School of Medicine, University of Pretoria, South Africa.
Dreyer
L
L
Swart
T J P
TJ
Van Heerden
M B
MB
Boy
S C
SC
D000782:Aneuploidy; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D016612:Paraffin Embedding; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000096:biosynthesis
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; C493956:CDKN1A protein, human; D050759:Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p21; D016213:Cyclins; D016160:Retinoblastoma Protein; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53