Cell surface antigens in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity

The ABH isoantigen was investigated in 80 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity and in their 46 affected lymph nodes. Isoantigen deletion shows a characteristic pattern of benign to malignant transformation of oral cancer. Total loss of isoantigen was found in anaplastic tumours, in metastatic lymph nodes and in the majority of advanced stage tumours. Total loss of isoantigen in metastatic lymph nodes indicates a frequent discharge of isoantigen-negative metastatic cells from the primary tumours to the lymph nodes and the regional organs. It seems that with the recent techniques a prospective observation of ABH isoantigen added to other pathological and clinical findings could be of prognostic significance in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.