Expression OF p16INK4a Gene in Premalignant and Malignant Lesions of Oral Cavity

Squamous cell carcinoma is the summits malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity. Tobacco and alcohol is identified as risk factors, but squamous cell carcinoma can occur in patients with no known risk factors. Oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy and is one of the major causes of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. Cancer is caused due to a series of alteration in genetic and epigenetic factors that occur in multiple steps and is influenced by the genetic predisposition of the individual and by exogenous environmental factors. These factors result in a series of molecular alteration, including inactivation of tumor suppressor genes expression of p16 has been proposed as a marker for malignant transformation. The p16 staining was correlated between the control and study groups and p 16 was shown to be increasing expressed in premalignant and less expressed in malignant category and was found to be statistically significant by Fischer's exact test. This study concluded that p16 was increasingly expressed in premalignant lesions and less expressed in malignant lesion. In the present study 9 of the control cases were p16 negative and one case showed sporadic staining. The study group I showed 1 case of sporadic staining, 6 cases of focal staining and 8 cases of diffuse staining. The study II showed 14 cases of sporadic staining, 6 cases of focal staining and 5 cases of diffuse staining. Hence variations cannot be accurately assessed, but it plays a crucial role in assessing pre-malignant lesions progressing to malignancy. To confirm this, a larger sample study is required. As advances in research have leads to greater understanding of potentially malignant lesions in the oral cavity.