Correlation of Histopathological Patterns of (OSCC) Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Patients with Tumor Site and Habits

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common malignancy of the oral cavity, strongly associated with lifestyle risk factors such as smoking, smokeless tobacco, betel quid, and alcohol. Histopathological patterns and tumor site are key determinants of disease aggressiveness and prognosis. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of histopathological patterns of OSCC with tumor site and patient habits. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study was conducted at JINNAH HOSPITAL Karachi from June 2024 to January 2025, and included 85 patients with histopathologically confirmed OSCC. Demographic data, patient habits, and tumor site were recorded. Tumors were classified as well, moderately, or poorly differentiated. Results: The mean age of patients was 51.6 ± 11.4 years, with a male predominance (65.9%). The most frequent tumor sites were the tongue (32.9%) and buccal mucosa (29.4%). Moderately differentiated carcinoma was the most common histopathological pattern (44.7%), followed by well-differentiated (35.3%) and poorly differentiated (20.0%). Smoking was the leading habit (37.6%), followed by smokeless tobacco (32.9%), betel quid/areca nut (17.6%), and alcohol (11.8%). Significant correlations were observed between tongue tumors and poorly differentiated histology (p = 0.04), and between smoking and poorly differentiated tumors (p = 0.03). Nearly half of patients reported multiple risk habits. Conclusion: OSCC in this cohort most frequently involved the tongue and buccal mucosa, with moderately differentiated tumors predominating. Tongue lesions and smoking were significantly associated with poorly differentiated histology, indicating more aggressive disease.