Assessment of epidermal growth factor receptor in histological, clinical and pathological staging of oral squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is an invasive epithelial neoplasm with varying degrees of squamous differentiation that arises from the following anatomic sites: the oral cavity, particularly oral soft tissues including the gingival and alveolar mucosa, floor of the mouth, tongue, soft and hard palate, tonsils and oropharynx. In normal epithelium EGFR is localized to basal cell layer, while its expression beyond basal localization in cancerous tissue suggest that correlation of EGFR and tumor progression might exist. The present study aimed to assess epidermal growth factor receptor in histological, clinical and pathological staging of oral squamous cell carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The current study was performed on subject with confirmed histological diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma of age group between 35 and 70 years reported to Kempe-Gowda Institute of Medical Science and Hospital, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Vokkaligara Sangha Dental College and Hospital Bangalore and KIDWAI Memorial Institute of Oncology, Bangalore between December 2019 and March 2021. Total of 30 subjects included in the study of age group between 35 and 70 years. In the selected subject for the study, tumor was resected and preserved in 10% formalin, which was sent to department of pathology for analysis and PTNM was recorded. Immunohistochemical evaluation of EGFR was done. Total score of EGFR of each subject was co-related with pathological prognostic factor. RESULTS: Correlation of EGFR with adjuvant therapy and histological grading, P values were 0.001 and 0.005, respectively. The obtained results were tabulated statistically using Chi square test and significance was set at P < 0.05. CONCLUSION: A preventive approach and assessment of EGFR in early stage of SCC provide better results. Subjects with higher EGFR value have poor prognosis and have to undergo postsurgical adjuvant therapy for long term-survival.