Assessment of Programmed Cell Death Ligand -1 (PD-L1) Expression in Oral Potentially Malignant Lesions and Surgical Margins of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and its Association with 3-year Survival

Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most prevalent type of epithelial cancer affecting the oral cavity. In India, it ranks as the third most common cancer, following breast and cervical cancer. Significant research is being conducted to explore various treatment approaches for OSCC, with immunotherapy emerging as an advanced option. Under normal circumstances, the immune system protects the body from infections and tumors. Key players in this process are cell surface proteins called "programmed cell death 1 (PD-1)" and "programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1)," which are crucial for immune checkpoint regulation. Higher expression of PD-L1 is associated with worse prognosis and shows an inverse relationship with CD8 + T cell infiltration in tumors. This study aims to examine the differential expression of PD-L1 in oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and surgical margins of OSCC patients, while also exploring its link to clinicopathological features and its influence on patient survival. By doing so, the research will provide insights into the progression of the disease from premalignant stages to OSCC recurrence. Material and methods It is a observation retrospective study that will include 20 cases of OPMD and 20 tumor-free surgical margins from OSCC patients The immunoexpression of PD-L1 will be assessed by CPS score under Leica DMLB2 (Leica microscope). Discussion The assessment of PD-L1 immunoexpression form OPMD patients to surgical margins of OSCC patients, it gives whole disease spectrum and helpful to identify the individuals having a higher risk of malignant potential