Camila Maria Beder Ribeiro

Low Survival Rates of Oral and Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Aim To assess the epidemiological and clinical factors that influence the prognosis of oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Methods One hundred and twenty-one cases of oral and oropharyngeal SCC were selected. The survival curves for each variable were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox regression model was applied to assess the effect of the variables on survival. Results Cancers at an advanced stage were observed in 103 patients (85.1%). Cancers on the tongue were more frequent (23.1%). The survival analysis was 59.9% in one year, 40.7% in two years, and 27.8% in 5 years. There was a significant low survival rate linked to alcohol intake (p = 0.038), advanced cancer staging (p = 0.003), and procedures without surgery (p < 0.001). When these variables were included in the Cox regression model only surgery procedures (p = 0.005) demonstrated a significant effect on survival. Conclusion The findings suggest that patients who underwent surgery had a greater survival rate compared with those that did not. The low survival rates and the high percentage of patients diagnosed at advanced stages demonstrate that oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients should receive more attention.

Impact of Tooth Loss on Quality of Life

Objective: To evaluate the impact of tooth loss on the quality of life of patients at the Cesmac University Center. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed, whose sample was composed of 224 volunteers from various health units of the selected health service with at least 12 years of age and one missing tooth. Quality of Life (QOL) was assessed using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP -14) and tooth loss was assessed with the dental chart. A structured interview that assessed the socio-economic condition of the individual was also applied. For interpretation of the OHIP-14, values were assigned using the multiplicative method: 0-3 points = no impact; 3.01 to 6 points = low impact; 6.01 to 10 points = moderate impact; and> 10.01 points = high impact. All volunteers received guidance on oral health and, when necessary, a referral to the dental care provided by this institution was performed. Results: The mean OHIP ranged from no impact (30.9%) to high impact (27.8%). The correlation between the number of missing teeth and QOL scores was statistically significant (p <0.05), as well as the correlation between number of missing teeth and age of volunteers (p <0.0001). The dimensions of the OHIP-14 that showed the most influenced domains were pain, psychological discomfort, psychological disability. Conclusion: Increasing age has shown influence on tooth and tooth loss affected the QOL of volunteers. QOL may be influenced by other factors such as loss of anterior teeth and schooling

Immunoexpression of EGFR and EMMPRIN in a series of cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the extracellular matrix metalloproteinase inducer (EMMPRIN) have been identified as oncologically important targets. This study aimed to evaluate the immunoexpression of EGFR and EMMPRIN in a series of cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). METHODS Forty-five cases of HNSCC were selected for this study and evaluated with anti-EGFR and anti-EMMPRIN antibodies. The percentage of positive cells was determined assessing to the following categories: score 1 (staining in 0-50% of cells), score 2 (staining in 51-75% of cells), and score 3 (staining in >75% of cells). Immunostaining intensity was graded according to the following parameters: score 1 (absent/weak expression) and score 2 (strong expression). RESULTS For EGFR, a predominance of high median scores was observed in cases of both histological grades of malignancy and in different clinical stages (p>0.05). For EMMPRIN, a statistically significant difference was observed between the histological grades of malignancy (p=0.030). Regarding the immunostaining intensity of EMMPRIN, it was observed a predominance of score 1 in cases with stages I/II, whereas most cases with stages III/IV presented score 2 (p=0.032). Considering the anatomical location, most cases of buccal floor presented higher median score of EMMPRIN in comparison with the other sites (p=0.015). CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that both proteins are potential targets for cancer therapy and EMMPRIN can be used as a prognostic marker of a more aggressive biological behavior in patients with HNSCC.