ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA: A OVERALL RETROSPECT

Aim: The aim of this article is to review the epidemiology, clinical features, and prognosis of oral scc. Purpose: The intent of the present review was to present the histo?logical and molecular characteristics of the common type of oral cancer encountered by oral surgeons. Squamous cell carcinoma reports for 80% of all oral cancers. It might affect any anatomical site in the mouth, but most commonly the tongue and the floor of the mouth. It usually originate from a preexisting potentially malignant lesion, and occasionally de novo but in either case from within a field of precancerized epithelium. The role of tobacco and betel quid, heavy drinking of alcoholic beverages and a diet low in fresh fruits and vegetables are known risk factors for oral squamous cell carcinoma. Essential risk factors related to the carcinoma itself that are familiar with a poor prognosis include large size of the tumour at the time of diagnosis, the presence of metastases in regional lymphnodes, and a deep invasive front of the tumour. In oscc, associations have been identified between the proliferation, basal lamina degradation and connective tissue modulation. Therefore, the comparison of these factors with the survival time of oscc patients from the histopatho-logical diagnosis is of interest.