The Clinical Challenge
- Lack of Reliable Prediction MethodsPredicting outcomes and recurrence risk after oral cancer treatment remains a significant challenge. Current pathological information (LVI, ENE, or BNI) is informative, but not indicative enough for accurate recurrence prediction.
- Shortage of pathologists and limited resourcesEven experienced clinicians cannot reliably determine prognosis using pathological information such as lymphovascular invasion (LVI), extracapsular nodal extension (ENE), or perineural invasion (BNI). These features, while informative, are not indicative for accurate recurrence prediction.
- Variability in Pathological AssessmentDifferent pathologists often reach different diagnostic conclusions on the same tissue sample. This interobserver variation can lead to missed early signs of malignancy and delayed treatment initiation.