Taxation of micronuclei frequency as a prognostic marker in oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma: A cytogenetic study

Abstract

Background: Oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma are one among the most common cancers in the world. India shares about one-fourth of incidences of oral and oropharyngeal cancers and death due to the same is also of significant number. Micronucleus resulting from aberrant mitosis, chromatin fragmentation, or aberrant chromosome is considered as a hall mark for genotoxicity, also oral cancer risk and is useful in chemopreventive studies. Hence, the determination of micronuclei frequency serves as better prognostic marker. Methodology: A total of 60 patients with a mean age of 53 (56 males and 4 females) years, who were histopathologically confirmed cases of oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma with different degree of differentiation were included in the study. Patients were solely treated by radiotherapy with radiation dose plan of 4 Gy, 14 Gy, 24 Gy, and 60 Gy on the 2nd, 7th, 12th, and 30th days, respectively. The mucosal scapings stained with Giemsa and May-Grunwald s stain were studied to assess the micronuclei at each interval. Results: Although there was no significant association between site of lesion and tumor differentiation with micronuclei index, there was statistically significant difference in the micronuclei index at each interval. Percentage of relative increment in micronuclei also showed promising significance. Conclusion: Hence, micronuclear assay could be used as an efficient tool to determine the radiosensitivity and prognosis in oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma patients treated by radiotherapy.