Top Research Papers on Oral Cancer

Cancers of the oral cavity and surrounding structures constitute approximately 3% of malignancies in the Lancaster area, the majority of which are squamous cell carcinomas, which can be very distressing to patients and relatives alike.

There were 299,051 cases of lip and oral cavity cancers in 2012 and 145,353 deaths worldwide: adding those with oro-and hypo-pharynx cancers, raising this figure to 441,000 cases per year and 241,458 deaths.

An overview of cancer, oral cavity, diagnosis, complications, medical treatments and self-prevention to avoid risk factors is provided.

Anatomical factors which play a major role in the clinical behaviour of cancers of the tongue, floor of mouth and lower alveolus, dentate and edentulous, are described and the influence of anatomical factors in the surgical approach to these tumors is discussed.

The object of this paper is to review the factors which are thought to be responsible for the bad prognosis of mouth cancer, to recognize specific factors that are likely to be contributing to this condition.

All healthcare workers need to be aware that a patient with an ulcer or white patch that persists beyond three weeks should be referred for further evaluation to an oral physician or to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.

The results suggest that some students are fully aware of oral cancer and some have little knowledge about this disease.

Oral cancer is relatively uncommon in the UK, accounting for 2% of all cancers, in India and parts of South-East Asia it is the most common malignant neoplasm and accounts for around a third of all illnesses, and data suggest that oral cancer is uncommon, but there are enormous variations worldwide.

Oral cancers are found on the tongue, the bottom or roof of the mouth, in the tonsils, on the salivary glands, and in the back of the throat.

The epidemiology and risk factors for oral cancer in Australia, the various clinical presentations that occur and the staging of oral cancer are highlighted.

To improve survival, all patients should be routinely and vigilantly screened for oral mucosal lesions, particularly the increasing incidence in young patients without traditional risk factors of alcohol and tobacco abuse.

The importance of education of both physicians and patients in achieving the goal of earlier diagnosis of oral cancer is stressed and warning signs of cancerous oral lesions, diagnosis, and treatment choices are discussed.

In the U.S. oral cancer accounts for 2.1% of all cancers and 1% of cancer deaths, and two to three times as many males as females are affected.

Vital staining with toluidine blue and exfoliative cytological examination can aid early detection by accelerating the biopsy of lesions that cannot be classified adequately or made to disappear.

Recent published estimates of worldwide frequency of the 16 major cancers indicate that in developing countries with a high prevalence of infectious and nutritional diseases, cancer remains a major cause of death.

Tobacco use, heavy drinking, and infection with the human papillomavirus, the virus responsible for cervical cancer in women known as HPV, may increase a person’s risk for oral cancer.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is described as an invasive epithelial neoplasm with varying degrees of squamous differentiation and a propensity to early and extensive lymph node metastases, occurring predominantly in alcohol and tobacco using adults generally in the 5th and 6th decades of life.

Observations suggest that oral contraception increases the relevant exogenous factors for carcinogenesis of the uterine cervix such as sexual behavior and hygiene.

This review aims to provide an overview of oral cancer, including its causes, risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, and prevention strategies, and highlight the significance of continued research and awareness efforts to combat this complex and aggressive disease.

The epidemiology, aetiology, pathology, precancerous lesions, principles of diagnosis, staging, metastasis and survival, individual cancers with treatment modalities, current concepts in management, rehabilitation and prevention of oral cancers are discussed.