Introduction:

Squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity is a pathology with poor survival rates. When it is not adequately treated, it is a tumor with high recurrence and resistance to treatment. According to new hypotheses, progenitor tumor cells, due to their properties of self-renewal, tumor initiation, migration, and metastasis, could be responsible for the maintenance and renewal of this tumor. However, there is still no consensus on their true participation, subsequent to difficult in their identification and characterization.

Materials and methods:

In this research, 32 samples provided from patients diagnosis with squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity were used. To detect specific markers progenitor tumor cells were used immunofluorescence microscopy.

Results:

The cells markers OCT4, SSEA4, NANOG and TRA-1-60 were identified in the different stages of the tumor samples, all these findings suggest the role of tumor progenitor cells in the evolution of this pathology.

Conclusions:

The establishment and correct identification of the progenitor tumor cells provide new therapeutic options for the approach of this tumor seeking to improve the prognosis, survival rate and quality of life of the patient.