Correlation of betel nut chewing and clinicopathologic factors of oral squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE To investigate the correlation of clinicopathologic factors and immunophenotypic features with betel nut chewing in oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). METHODS The data of 88 patients with OSCC were collected. According to the habit of betel nut chewing, the clinicopathologic factors and immunohistochemical parameters were analyzed. The relationship between clinicopathologic factors of OSCC and betel nut chewing was analyzed with univariate analysis and multivariate analysis using SPSS 17.0 software package. RESULTS 46.6% of patients had the habit of betel nut chewing and 67.0% of patients had tongue cancer and buccal cancer. The pathological stages were mainly T2 (40.9%). From univariate analysis of the results, differentiation degree, ki-67, p53 was significantly correlated with the habit of betel nut chewing(P 0.05). From multivariate analysis of the results, location and differentiation degree were significantly correlated with the habit of betel nut chewing (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS ki-67 and p53 protein are lowly expressed in OSCC patients with the habit of betel nut chewing, suggesting that clinicopathologic factors such as the proliferation activity, malignancy, differentiation and prognosis of tumor are much better. Differentiation degree are relatively good in OSCC patients with the habit of betel nut chewing. Cheek and tongue are the most common site of OSCC.