BLOOD VESSEL DENSITY AS A PREDICTOR IN ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA USING CD34

INTRODUCTION: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for more than 90% of all oral cancers. Despite advances in the approach to locally advanced disease, about 50% of the tumors will recur. Fifty percent of patients present nodal involvement that is detectable during diagnosis. Of this group, less than 40% survive after five years, compared with a 90% survival rate for patients without metastasis. If the lesion is detected at an early stage and treated effectively, the survival rate could exceed 50%. Many retrospective studies have shown that microvessel density (MVD) could represent a valid independent prognostic factor for the overall survival. The blood vessel density may constitute a relevant parameter for determining the prognosis and guiding biological treatments for aggressive OSCC OBJECTIVES: To assess the MVD using CD34 in lymph node positive and negative cases and to correlate the results with the lymph node status. MATERIALS AND METHODS: MVD was calculated in 22 surgical specimens taken from OSCC patients. Biopsies were taken from the primary tumor of eleven cases proved to have positive lymph node and eleven cases with negative lymph nodes. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed using a Labeled Strept-Avidin Biotin complex method (LSAB), using the CD34 antibody. RESULTS: OSCC biopsies showed immunoreactivity to CD34, the difference between the mean MVD and lymph node status was significantly correlated. No significant relation with the histological grade site was found. CONCLUSIONS: MVD was significantly correlated with lymph node status and it could be used as an indicator for progression and early metastasis of OSCC. But, no correlation was found between the MVD and the histological grading.