# Evaluation of Micronucleus Count in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) Newly Diagnosed Patients Compared to Previously Treated Ones: A Cytologic Study: -

## TL;DR

This study shows that measuring micronuclei in mouth cells can track cancer treatment effectiveness in oral cancer patients.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates that micronucleus counts in buccal cells can monitor treatment outcomes in OSCC patients.

## Key findings

- Treated OSCC patients had significantly lower micronucleus counts than newly diagnosed patients.
- Micronucleus counts varied by treatment type but differences were not statistically significant.
- Micronucleus assessment is proposed as a noninvasive tool for monitoring OSCC recovery.

## Abstract

Early detection and monitoring of genomic damages are vital for improving
therapeutic outcomes. Quantification of micronuclei in exfoliated buccal
mucosa cells has emerged
as a reliable biomarker for assessing genomic alterations and cytogenetic
damage in precancerous and cancerous conditions.

This study evaluated exfoliated buccal
cells from two groups of OSCC patients: seventeen newly diagnosed
individuals who hadn’t yet
undergone OSCC treatments and seventeen patients assessed at least six
months after treatments.
Micronuclei were identified and quantified in the cytology samples, and
statistical analyses including the T-test, Mann–Whitney U, Kruskal–Wallis,
and Spearman’s correlation tests were
applied at a significance threshold of P0.05 to compare modalities between
groups.

The newly diagnosed group exhibited a mean micronucleus frequency of
0.028±0.013 per 10³
cell, whereas the treated group demonstrated a significantly lower mean
frequency of 0.016±0.020
per 10³ cell (P=0.03). Further stratification of treated patients by
intervention type (surgery alone,
surgery combined with radiotherapy, and surgery followed by radiotherapy and
chemotherapy)
yielded mean counts of 0.006±0.003 per 10³ cell, 0.014±0.010 per 10³ cell,
and 0.026±0.025 per 10³
cell, respectively. These variations did not reach statistical significance
(P=0.29).

The findings show that treatment reduces cytogenetic damage, as reflected by
diminished micronucleus formation. Consequently, micronucleus assessment in
buccal mucosa cells may
serve as a noninvasive, cost-effective tool for monitoring therapeutic
efficacy and predicting
the recovery process in OSCC patients.