CD44 and neoplasm: Overall, the IHC evidence—while smaller in k and more variable in cut-offs, antibodies, and anatomic compartment—converges on the same directional risk as the computational synthesis and is further supported by external OSCC literature: a meta-analysis found CD44 overexpression predicts worse OS and DFS in IHC-based cohorts [24]; loss of E-cadherin at the invasive tumor front correlates with poorer prognosis [25]; and strong ALDH1 immunoexpression identifies patients with adverse overall survival [26].