Clinical and pathological correlation of P⁵³ expression in oral cancers

In our study, we aimed to evaluate the overexpression of P⁵³ in 155 oral squamous cell carcinomas and to correlate with various clinicopathological features like depth of invasion, lymph nodal involvement, and margin status, which affect the local recurrence and prognosis. This cross-sectional study included 155 oral squamous cell carcinoma patients who underwent surgical resection of primary and nodal disease. The histopathological and clinical features were noted. Immunohistochemical expression was reported, and other clinicopathological features were correlated. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. In the present study, out of 155 patients, 127(81.9%) are males, and the majority are more than 50 years (55%). The most common site of oral carcinoma is the tongue, followed by buccal mucosa. An aberrant or mutational type of P⁵³ was seen in 90 cases (58%), while the wild type was observed in 65 patients (42%). Expression of P⁵³ is not similar in different sites of the oral cavity but is more frequently seen in the Gingiva, followed by retromolar trigone, lip, buccal mucosa, and tongue. There is a significant association between P⁵³ expression and degree of tumor differentiation, T staging, and depth of invasion, involved margin, node positivity, and extranodal extension.