Intra-oral Acantholytic Squamous Cell Carcinoma: 55 Cases. Is this Variant more Aggressive?

Area of Science:

• Oral Pathology
• Oncology
• Cancer Research

Background:

• Acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma (aSCC) is a rare variant of squamous cell carcinoma.
• Its behavior and aggressiveness compared to conventional SCC in the oral cavity remain unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the clinicopathological features and patient outcomes of intraoral acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma (aSCC) with conventional squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
• To determine if aSCC exhibits greater aggressiveness than conventional SCC within the oral cavity.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive literature search was conducted to identify cases of intraoral aSCC.
• Seven new cases were added from the authors' institution.
• Data from 55 intraoral aSCC cases were analyzed and compared to existing data for conventional SCC using statistical tests (Fisher Exact, Pearson's χ²).

Main Results:

• The tongue and maxilla/gingiva/palate were the most common sites for intraoral aSCC.
• The overall survival rate for aSCC was 67.9%, compared to 62.5% for conventional SCC (p=0.6).
• No statistically significant differences were found in age, sex, survival rates, pathological staging, or tumor location between aSCC and conventional SCC.

Conclusions:

• Based on a review of 55 cases, intraoral acantholytic squamous cell carcinoma (aSCC) does not appear to be more aggressive than conventional squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
• Patient outcomes and clinicopathological features are similar between these two variants in the oral cavity.