Fatty Acid Receptor CD36 Functions as a Surrogate Parameter for Lymph Node Metastasis in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Purpose: To investigate the expression pattern of CD36 in a patient population with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to correlate CD36 expression with clinical and histopathological parameters. The hypothesis was that CD36 expression correlates with the occurrence of lymph node metastasis.

Methods: To address the study objectives, a retrospective cohort study was conducted.