Comparison of Fascin Expression in Oral Verrucous Carcinoma and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: One of the diagnostic problems of pathology is to differentiate between oral verrucous carcinoma (OVC) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Fascin increases the invasion of normal and neoplastic cells by stabilizing cytoplasmic filamentous actin. The present study aimed to investigate the expression of fascin in OSCC and OVC. Methods: This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional was conducted on 25 blocks of OSCC, 22 blocks of OVC, and 10 blocks of healthy mucosa as a control group. After immunohistochemical staining, samples were observed by two maxillofacial pathologists simultaneously, and the percentage of stained cells, intensity of staining, and the location of stained cells were obtained. Results: There was no significant difference in the gender (p = 0.123) and age (p = 0.276) distribution of participants in the groups. There was a significant difference in the distribution of the involved area in the patients of the studied groups (p < 0.001). There was a significant difference in the intensity of staining and the percentage of stained cells between the studied groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The percentage and intensity of staining were higher in the OSCC, OVC and, control groups, respectively. It seems that Fascin expression has an important role in predicting OVC and OSCC.