DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2015.v03i04.001

Pages: 1615-1618

The objective is to assess the significance of argyrophilic nuclear organizer region (AgNOR) counts in diagnosis of squamous cell carcinoma of buccal mucosa treated by radiotherapy and evaluation of different grades of sqamous cell carcinoma by AgNORcounting. Study was conducted on 40 histologically proven, previously untreated cases of various grades of squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal and compared with controls. AgNOR staining was performed. The patients were subjected to Cobalt-60 radiotherapy and sections obtained 2 and 4 weeks after therapy were assessed for AgNOR score. In squamous cells of the control group, the AgNORs were fine, tightly packed and centrally placed in the nucleoli. AgNORs in carcinoma of the buccalmucosa prior to radiotherapy were large and variable in size and shape. The cases studied for AgNOR count 2 weeks after radiotherapy showed multiple AgNOR dots which were fewer in number and less coarse as compared to the pre-radiation group. After 4 weeks of radiation therapy, the AgNOR count further declined in number, and the dots were usually single and fine. In patients who showed persistence of malignancy, the AgNOR dots were found to be coarse and present in large clumps. AgNOR is an effective tool reflecting the proliferation rate of the tumor.