Biomarker Profiles and Clinicopathological Features in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients

Background and Objectives: Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCCs) vary significantly in terms of invasiveness, growth rate, and metastatic potential. This study aimed to investigate the expression of several prognostic biomarkers (Ki67, p53, EGFR, COX-2, Cx43, and p16) in HNSCC from various anatomical regions and to correlate these expressions with clinicopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: We performed immunohistochemistry on 91 histologically verified HNSCC cases from the County Emergency Hospital, Targu Mures. Biomarker expression for Ki67, COX-2, and Cx43 was assessed using a standard immunoexpression scoring system: S1: 0-10%, S2: 11-25%, S3: 26-50%, S4 > 50%; EGFR was scored based on membrane staining intensity: 0, 1+, 2+, 3+; we classified p16 as positive or negative; p53 was grouped into mutant and wild-type; and we compared these across histopathological types, tumor grades, anatomical locations, gender, and different age groups. We performed a comparative analysis of Cx43 expression levels in relation to the expression of the rest of the markers. Statistical analysis was conducted using GraphPad InStat 3 software, version 3.06 (GraphPad Software Inc., San Diego, USA). Results: The majority of tumors were in males (95.6%) aged 51-60 years. Mutant p53 expression was prevalent in most cases. Elevated Ki67 and EGFR expression were associated with more aggressive tumors. COX-2 levels varied, with a higher proportion of moderate and high immunoexpression (S3 + S4) observed in patients under 70 years old. Cx43 expression was generally low, especially in extralaryngeal tumors. Conclusions: HNSCC primarily affects older males, with the larynx being the most common site. High levels of Ki-67 and EGFR suggest more aggressive tumors, while low COX-2 levels reflect varying prognoses. Women may develop more aggressive tumors, and extralaryngeal tumors often present with more challenging prognoses. Low Cx43 expression may be more likely to coincide with higher Ki67 and COX-2 levels, possibly indicating a link with more aggressive tumor behavior.