Clinicopathological correlation of stem cell markers expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma; relation to patients` outcome.

Background: Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the commonest oral malignancy.The overall 5 year survival of OSCC has remained at 50%, largely unchanged for 40 years. CSCs are important within the development, invasion, drug resistance, and prediction of carcinomas treatment outcome. ALDH1 and CD44 are commonly used epithelial tumors cancer stem-like cells surface markers. Materials: Our study aimed to judge CD44 and ALDH1 immunohistochemical expressions in 44 cases of OSCC and relates the expression to patients' survival.

Results: High CD44 & ALDH1 expressions were significantly expressed in variable histologic grades of OSCCs, large sized carcinomas, presence lymph vascular invasion, presence of nodal and distant metastasis, advanced TNM clinical stage, recurrence and death during follow up period (P ≤ 0.05). Reduced DFS and three years overall survival were significantly recorded in cases with high CD44 expression, and high ALDH1 expression (p < 0.05). CD44 & ALDH1 expressions, histologic grade, tumor size were the independent predictors of DFS and three years OS.

Conclusion: CD44 and ALDH1 expressions are valuable prognostic factors in OSCC and could be well considered predictors for patients' 3 years OS and DFS.