Abstract

Introduction: Oral cancers contribute to substantial morbidity and mortality, by being
the sixth most common cancer worldwide. The most common malignant epithelial
neoplasm in the oral cavity is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), representing over
90% of malignancies of the oral cavity. The remaining include malignant tumors of
salivary gland, lymphoreticular disorders, bone tumors, malignant melanomas,
sarcomas, malignant odontogenic tumors, and metastatic deposits.
Material and Methods: This is a prospective study conducted at Department of
Pathology, Ayaan Insitute of Medical Sciences, Kankamidi from 2019 to 2020. The
present study was WT1 and Ki-67 immunoexpression in oral squamous cell carcinoma
was conducted on 80 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma. Biopsy specimens received
to pathology department where gross examination of the specimens was done.
Specimens were fixed in 10% neutral buffered formalin and then processed in
automated tissue processor and embedded in paraffin wax. 4-5 microns sections were
taken and stained with haematoxylin and eosin. 80 cases reported as squamous cell
carcinoma of the oral cavity were taken for immunohistochemical staining with WT1
and Ki-67.
Results: A total number of 100 cases were studied, the test group included a total of 80
cases of OSCC. 50 cases (n=50/80) were well differentiated squamous cell carcinomas
(WDSCC), 20 cases (n=20/80) were moderately differentiated squamous cell carcinomas
(MDSCC) and 10 cases (n=10/80) were poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma
(PDSCC). The Ki-67 LI was calculated for all the cases of OSCC obtained from various
intraoral sites and the mode of the extent of proliferation was tabulated. Among the
cases showing well differentiation, 57.14% of the cases (n=4/7) had a low extent of
proliferation,28.5% of the cases (n=2/7) had a moderate extent of proliferation and
14.28% of the cases (n=1/7) had a high extent of proliferation.
Conclusion: OSCC is one of the most common cancers in India, contributing to
substantial morbidity and mortality. The right lateral border of the tongue is the
commonest site of OSCC in the present study. The prognosis of patients with Stage 1 of
oral tongue SCC, depends on the Ki-67 LI, with a good prognosis being associated with
a Ki-67 LI less than 33%. WT1 immunotherapy can be advocated to improve the
prognosis of patients with histopathologically proven WDSCC and a Ki-67 LI more
than 33%.