Oral cavity cancer, encompassing lip, mouth, and tongue cancers, is of interest because it is the sixteenth most prevalent neoplasia globally, accounting for 389,846 new cases and approximately 188,000 deaths by 2022.

The specific objective of this study was to investigate morphological changes in the nuclei of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) using specific DNA staining techniques and an automated Irregularity Nuclear Index (NII) for classification.

Samples from 32 patients diagnosed with OSCC were analyzed, with a focus on distinguishing tumor differentiation stages through nuclear morphometric analysis.

A mixed-method approach was employed using fluorescence microscopy and FIJI software to quantify nuclear irregularities, which revealed significant insights into apoptosis, mitosis, interphase, and senescence. These findings aim to enhance diagnostic accuracy and provide new tools for the early detection and management of oral cavity cancer. This research highlights the potential for integrating digital methodologies in pathology to bridge gaps in our understanding of the relationship between morphological nuclear changes and molecular alterations in tumor progression. Keywords: Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck, Image Processing, Computer-Assisted, Apoptosis

The authors have declared no competing interest.

This study was funded by Vicerrectora de Investigaciones Universidad Surcolombiana

I confirm all relevant ethical guidelines have been followed, and any necessary IRB and/or ethics committee approvals have been obtained.

Yes

The details of the IRB/oversight body that provided approval or exemption for the research described are given below:

Ethics committee/IRB of Hospital Universitario Hernando Moncaleno Perdomo gave ethical approval for this work. Code number 003-003

I confirm that all necessary patient/participant consent has been obtained and the appropriate institutional forms have been archived, and that any patient/participant/sample identifiers included were not known to anyone (e.g., hospital staff, patients or participants themselves) outside the research group so cannot be used to identify individuals.

Yes

I understand that all clinical trials and any other prospective interventional studies must be registered with an ICMJE-approved registry, such as ClinicalTrials.gov. I confirm that any such study reported in the manuscript has been registered and the trial registration ID is provided (note: if posting a prospective study registered retrospectively, please provide a statement in the trial ID field explaining why the study was not registered in advance).

Yes

I have followed all appropriate research reporting guidelines, such as any relevant EQUATOR Network research reporting checklist(s) and other pertinent material, if applicable.

Yes

All data produced in the present study are available upon reasonable request to the authors