Apoptotic Count as a Guide for Histological Grading of Carcinoma Esophagus: A Light Microscopic Study

BACKGROUND: Many studies have been done in the past on the correlation between apoptotic count and histological grading of different tumors. AIMS: The study aims to find out if a correlation between apoptotic count and histological grading exists in squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus, and also to review the literature on such a relationship in the context of some other tumors. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: Cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus who presented at a tertiary care center over a period of one year were reviewed. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The endoscopic biopsy specimens of 56 patients of squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus were fixed in 10% buffered formalin, processed for routine paraffin sections, sections taken, stained by hematoxylin and eosin and examined under light microscope, using 40× objective and 10× eyepiece. Apoptotic bodies were counted in each high-power field (HPF). STATISTICAL ANALYSIS USED: Standard error of difference in apoptotic count in different tumor groups found and P value calculated, using Student's t test. RESULTS: An inverse correlation of the apoptotic count per HPF with the histological grade of the tumor was found. CONCLUSIONS: Grading of squamous cell carcinoma of esophagus, solely on the basis of apoptotic count can be used in the first place or to corroborate conventional histological grading done on the basis of morphology.