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Clinical Studies

Expanding the horizon of prognostic markers in oral epithelial dysplasia: a critical appraisal of the novel AI-based IEL score

British Journal of Cancer volume 132, pages 755–756 (2025)Cite this article

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Dear Editor,

We read with great interest the article by Shephard et al. titled “A novel AI-based score for assessing the prognostic value of intra-epithelial lymphocytes in oral epithelial dysplasia” published in the British Journal of Cancer [1]. The authors present a compelling case for the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to derive an intra-epithelial lymphocyte (IEL) score from whole slide images (WSIs) of oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) as a prognostic marker for malignant transformation. While the study is a significant step forward in addressing the clinical challenge of predicting OED progression, we would like to highlight several critical aspects that warrant further discussion and consideration.

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References

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Basic Sciences, Biomedical Stomatology Research Group, Faculty of Dentistry, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia

    Carlos M. Ardila

  2. Department of Periodontics, Saveetha Dental College, SIMATS, Saveetha University, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India

    Pradeep Kumar Yadalam

Authors
  1. Carlos M. Ardila
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  2. Pradeep Kumar Yadalam
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PKY and CMA Conception, data analysis, interpretation, and manuscript drafting.

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Correspondence to Carlos M. Ardila.

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Ardila, C.M., Yadalam, P.K. Expanding the horizon of prognostic markers in oral epithelial dysplasia: a critical appraisal of the novel AI-based IEL score. Br J Cancer 132, 755–756 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-025-03010-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-025-03010-8

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