European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine

Abstract

Tumor budding is the histological phenomenon seen as a detached, discohesive small cluster
of cells in the invasive tumor front. Tumor buds may provide a histological means for the
assessment of epithelial-mesenchymal interaction and facilitate early prediction of
prognosis.The present study aims to assess the prognostic significance of the tumor budding in
oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC). Detailed Histopathological scoring of the oral
squamous cell carcinoma tissue and lymph nodes including the evaluation of tumor budding
was performed by two individual observers retrospectively. The association between various
clinicopathological parameters and the budding index was analyzed using chi-square test and
fisher’s exact tests. Tumor budding was demonstrated in the invasive tumor front of all OSCC
cases. High-intensity tumor budding was seen in stage 4 cancers with tumor size of > 4cms.
Histologically, they were related to deep and extensive tumors, having an invasive front with
infiltrative cells in groups or cords, dense stromal type in association with mild inflammation
invariably. All of the cases with lymph node metastases were tumor budding positive. Thus this
study emphasizes the importance of tumor budding evaluation in regular pathology practice in
the management of OSCC cases.