Worst pattern of invasion and other histopathological features in oral cancer as determinants of prognosis and survival rate: A retrospective cohort analysis

Abstract

Oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OCSCC) is a well‑recognized malignancy of the head and neck. Studies on patients with early‑stage oral cancer have shown that they develop locally recurring and/or regional lymph node metastasis, which results in disease‑associated mortality. Thus, early‑stage oral cancer does not always present good prognoses. The present study aimed to determine the effi‑ cacy of using worst pattern of invasion (WPOI) and other histopathological features, such as prognostic factors in OCSCC, and analyze the impact of resection margin status and histopathological prognostic indicators on local recur‑ rence (LR) and overall survival (OS) in patients with OCSCC. A retrospective cohort study was conducted by reviewing the charts of 63 patients with OCSCC treated with primary surgery at King Abdulaziz University Hospital between 2012 and 2019. An author and an experienced pathologist reviewed pathology slides. Associations of histopathological factors, including differentiation, stage, lymphovascular invasion, extracapsular extension, perineural invasion (PNI), WPOI and surgical margins, with LR or disease‑free survival (DFS) were evaluated. Univariate analysis identified WPOI and PNI, and