Prognostic implications of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt signaling pathway in oral squamous cell carcinoma: overexpression of p-mTOR indicates an adverse prognosis

Abstract

The development of oral cavity cancer is related to the accumulation of genetic alterations. The activation of AKT is associated with the proliferation and progression of many malignancies. It is thought that MAP kinases, together with the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway, promote uncoordinated proliferation via inhibition of PTEN, thus increasing cell survival and mediating cancer progression. However, there are few studies regarding the expression of these proteins in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).