Carcinoma de células escamosas de boca: Relação entre graduação histopatológica e características clínicas da neoplasia

The histopathological characteristics of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) have been used to predict the clinical behavior of this neoplasia. Objective: The aim of this study was describe the characteristics of an OSCC sample and verify the relation between histological grading and characteristics of the subjects and the tumor, identifying associations with the aggressive behavior of this lesion. Methods: The protocol of this study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee from Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (COEP-UFMG). OSCC cases selected were diagnosed in Oral Diagnosis Service at the Dentistry School of UFMG and in Odilon Behrens Hospital.). The sample consisted of 72 patients with OSCC, been 56 men and 16 women. The patients were submitted to a questionnaire about tobacco and alcohol habits, evolution time and symptomatology. Clinical examinations were performed and tumor fragments were reviewed and graded in accordance to the criteria proposed by Bryne et al. (1989). The data were analyzed in SPSS (Statistic Package for Social Sciences) 12.0 for Windows (p<0.05). Results: Twenty-three tumors were graded histologically as well differentiated (32%), 23 moderately differentiated (32%) and 26 poorly differentiated (36%). Neoplasms histologically more aggressive were often located in tongue and floor of mouth, however, without statistical significance (p>0.05). The majority of the well differentiated lesions (71.4%) exhibited regional metastasis and the lymph node involvement showed association with tumor's size (p<0.05). Conclusion: The results suggest that histological aggressiveness could be associated with size and regional dissemination in OSCC and that tumors located in tongue and floor of mouth may exhibit more aggressive behavior.