Tumor - stromal crosstalk in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A histochemical study

Background: Tumor invasion involves complex interactions between tumor and stromal cells and is bidirectional and such a mutual support allows for the progression of malignancy. The Aim of the study was to predict the biological behaviour of tumors by evaluating the changes in the connective tissue i.e. stromal response in different histopathological grades of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Materials and Methods: A total number of '30' cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma were examined using Connective Tissue Special Stains and Immunohistochemical Staining. Result: All the 3 grades of OSCC's were noted for staining intensity of α-SMA(alpha smooth muscle), collagen, neutral mucins and acidic mucins around tumor islands and within connective tissue. Conclusion: Understanding cancer by stromal cell genomic and histochemical analysis, provide more comprehensive and meaningful data, as this surrounding stroma plays an important role in the progression of cancer. The cancer associated with a reactive stroma is typically diagnostic of poor prognosis. So this study confirms that characterizing the stromal cells and their reciprocal interaction with tumor cells will provide supportive evidence that stromal therapy can be a rewarding approach for cancer prevention and intervention.