This study evaluated the clinicopathological and prognostic implications of genetic alterations characterizing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Comparative genomic hybridization was used to identify chromosomal alterations present in primary OSCCs obtained from 97 patients. In this population, tobacco use was a significant risk factor for OSCC. By contrast, the 97 samples were negative for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA integration, which is another known risk factor for OSCC in certain populations. Results of the Fisher's exact test, followed by the Benjamini-Hochberg correction for multiple testing, showed a correlation of 7p gain and 8p loss with node-positive OSCC (p≤0.04 for both genetic alterations) and an association of 11q13 gain with high-grade OSCC (p≤0.05). Univariate Cox-proportional hazard models, also corrected for multiple testing, showed a significant association of 11q13 gain and 18q loss with decreased survival (p≤0.05). The findings were supported by multivariate analysis, which revealed that 11q13 gain and 18q loss together serve as a strong bivariate predictor of poor prognosis. In conclusion, our study has identified genetic alterations that correlate significantly with nodal status, grade and the poor survival status of OSCC. These potential biomarkers may aid the current tumor node metastasis system for better prediction of clinical outcome.

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