Genetic profiles of field cancerization and intratumoral heterogeneity in oral squamous cell carcinoma

Worldwide high mortality rate of Oral Squamous cell Carcinoma (OSCC) gives rise to a considerable global public health burden. Despite the currently available therapeutic strategies, comprising the surgical excision of malignant tissue and a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, the 5-year survival rate is still poor. The high mortality rate is usually attributed to late diagnosis, but some cases of OSCC surgically treated at an early stage still present with aggressive behaviour and disease progression The aggressive behaviour of OSCC has been related to the “field cancerization concept” as the mucosa surrounding the primary mass is characterized by genetically altered epithelial cells that can escape clinical and histological examination and that may be responsible for cancer progression Recently, also the existence of a heterogeneous population of cells within the tumour mass (intratumor heterogeneity) has been linked to tumour aggressiveness and resistance to therapy. Therefore, current research efforts focus on the discovery of new therapeutic strategies to determine the risks of OSCC occurrence, progression, and metastatic spread, and thereby to reduce mortality rates. Aim of the present PhD project was to investigate field cancerization and intratumour heterogeneity in OSCC adopting a biomolecular approach.