Squamous carcinomas of the head and neck region are a common problem for the otolaryngologist; surgeons are obliged to draw together disparate lines of evidence — from physical examination, pathology, and radiology — to plan optimal therapy for their patients. This article explores some of the ways in which pathologic analysis of a biopsy specimen in the past (determination of extent of invasion and degree of differentiation), present (including an analysis of the pattern of infiltration and the tumor's DNA content), and, perhaps, the future (possibilities including cytogenetics and analysis of discrete steps in the cell cycle) plays a role in this process.
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