Over Expression of p16 in Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity

Introduction In recent years, there has been a worldwide increase in the incidence of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity in young adults who are often without a history of smoking and who are often female. Alterations in p16INK4A, the tumor suppressor gene, have been regularly reported in this condition. Materials and methods It is an interesting study of 14 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity collected in the department of stomatology and maxillofacial surgery. The term young is used to define patients aged 49 years or younger at the time of diagnosis. The expression of the p16INK4A protein was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. An invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity with strong expression of p16INK4A was used as a positive control. Results 28 % were women and 43 % were non-smokers. All tumors were squamous cell carcinomas, most of them moderately differentiated (65 % of cases). No tumors were in stage I, while 44 % and 28 % were in stage III and IV respectively. The tumors were located on the lip (50 % of cases), the anterior two thirds of the tongue (21 % of cases), gum (14 % of cases), the floor of the mouth (8 % of the cases) IFJ (7 % of cases). A strong and diffuse immunoreactivity of p16INK4A was observed in all cases of epidermoid carcinomas of the oral cavity. Discussion Our results are consistent with those described in several studies and are in favor of overexpression of the p16INK4A protein in dysplastic cells of the oral cavity, an intense immunostaining with p16INK4A could constitute an effective marker of precancerous lesions of high grade and potentially lesions The overexpression of p16INK4A can be used to identify and confirm these lesions. Therefore overexpression of p16INK4A can be widely used routinely.