Evaluation of the Relationship Between the Invasion Depth of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Clinicopathological Parameters

This study aimed cohort study aimed to evaluate the relationship between the depth of invasion (DOI) and the lymphocytic host response (LHR) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) biopsies with various clinicopathological characteristics of the disease.

Eighty-seven OSCC biopsy samples were obtained and key patient data such as clinical stage, grading, nodal involvement, overall survival (OS), and disease-free survival (DFS) were collected. DOI was measured from the basement membrane to the deepest invasion point, classifying samples into low risk (DOI < 4 mm) and high risk (DOI > 4 mm) categories. Additionally, LHR in the DOI was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. The Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact test and Kaplan-Meier analysis were used for data analysis. The significance level was set at 0.05.

The findings revealed that 43.7% of patients fell into the low-risk DOI category, while 56.3% were in the high-risk group. LHR levels varied, with 36.8% mild, 18.4% moderate, and 44.8% severe. Most patients were in stage IV (31%) and grade I (60.9%). A significant relationship was found between the high-risk DOI group and several factors: disease stage (p < 0.001), grading (p = 0.021), five-year OS (p=0.001), five-year DFS (p < 0.001), and lymph node involvement (p < 0.001). Moreover, a significant relationship existed between LHR and the disease stage (p = 0.003) and lymph node involvement (p = 0.001).

Incorporating DOI into routine histopathological reports could be beneficial in predicting OSCC prognosis, especially in early stages. This underscores the importance of histopathological evaluations in OSCC treatment planning, highlighting the value of DOI and LHR in understanding the disease's clinicopathological aspects.