Background: Optimal patient management requires correct pathologic information regarding its prognostic value and definitive discrimination between the biological behavior of tumors. Traditional microscopic information often fails, especially when base on hematoxyllin and eosin methods. New grading system fills this void. The study was undertaken to determine the molecular grades of squamous cell carcinoma based on cumulative scores of histopathology, and proliferative activity and to see their correlation with pathological prognostic factors.

Materials and Methods: Scoring for histology, Ki-67 index, and p63 immunohistochemistry was done for 180 samples of squamous cell carcinoma with different histologic grades. Data regarding pathologic prognostic factors e.g., lymph node metastasis, local invasion, distance metastasis and recurrence was also collected for each case. Spearman correlation and Kendall's Tau-b test was used to assess association of molecular grading with pathologic prognostic factors. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: Three grades (low, intermediate, and high) were determined by the sum of point values assigned to each 4 scores of histological differentiation, 5 p63 immunoreactivity scores and 4 scores of Ki-67. p63 scores were found to be related to the Ki-67 in the histological scoring of SCC. A significant correlation was found between the tumor grades and pathologic prognostic factors like stages (The molecular grades and the surgical stages are highly positively correlated, i.e. Spearman correlation = 0.721, p-value = 0.000) local invasion, lymph node involvement, distance metastasis (Kendall's Tau-b = 0.394; p-value = 0.00) and recurrence (Kendall's Tau — b = −0.966, p-value = 0.025).

Conclusion: Molecular features of the malignant cells were related to the pathological prognostic factors. New molecular grading is better in understanding the pathologic and clinical behavior of SCC at the molecular level.

Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2010;3(12 Suppl):A31.

Copyright © 2010, American Association for Cancer Research
2010