Surgical pathology of oral cancer

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a common malignancy with an increase in incidence reported in some developing countries. Although the aetiological risk factors are well documented and advances have been made in the different treatment modalities, the mortality and morbidity of OSCC have not improved significantly over the last decades. The histopathologist is an important member of the multidisciplinary team responsible for the management of OSCC patients. This review will discuss the different histological subtypes of OSCC as well as other pathological features that can influence the behaviour of OSCC and should be included in a histopathology report.