Evaluation Of Cell Cannibalism And Its Association With Ki-67 Labelling Index By Immunohistochemistry In Radical Neck Dissection Cases Of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Introduction: Cell-in-Cell phenomenon is the process by which a tumor cells engulf and consumes its adjacent tumor cells in tumor microenvironment. Cell-in-Cell structures include processes such as Emperipolesis, Emperitosis, Entosis, Cell cannibalism etc. Among these structures the most commonly studied phenomenon in malignancies is Cell cannibalism also referred as Cannibalistic cell. Though the role of cannibalistic cell has been studied in OSCC, limited literatures are available to prove its significance as a prognostic indicator. There are numerous proposed mechanism of formation of cannibalistic cell by various researchers like tissue hypoxic condition, nutrient deprived state, acidic pH state and close approximation of cells due to proliferation etc. Till date none of the literatures in OSCC explored the association of presence of cannibalistic cells with the state oftumor cells proliferation. Hence, the aim of our study was to find the association of Cannibalistic cells with proliferation status of tumor cells with the help of ki-67 marker by Immunohistochemistry in OSCC and also with other prognostic histological parameters.