Study of serum lipid profile in patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma

Introduction: India has one of the highest incidences of oral cancer. It is the most common cancer among men (M/F = 2:1). A few studies have been carried out on serum lipid profiles in oral cancers. Considering this, the present study was aimed to study the anatomical distribution of oral cancers and their histopathological grading and to evaluate serum lipid profile in oral cancer patients, comparing these with control groups and also among the various histological grades of oral cancer. Aims: 1. Comparison of serum lipid profile between oral cancer patients and controls. 2. Comparison of lipid profile among various grades of oral cancer. Setting and Design: Case–control study. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 120 individuals. There were two study groups: 1. Group 1 (control group): Comprised of 38 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. 2. Group 2 (case group): Comprised of 82 patients of oral squamous cell carcinoma of different grades. The lipid profile of both the groups was conducted and compared statistically using Student’s t-test. Results: Mean values of total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL), very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL), high-density lipoprotein (HDL), and triglycerides (TGs) when compared between case and control groups came out to be statistically significant. Also, there was a statistically significant decrease in serum cholesterol and HDL levels with loss of differentiation. Conclusion: We concluded that there is an inverse relationship between serum lipid profile and oral squamous cell carcinoma. The lower plasma lipid level may be a useful indicator for the initial changes occurring in neoplastic cells.