Oral Cancer and Potentially Cancerous Lesions – Early Detection and Diagnosis

Cancer of the oral cavity, also known as “oral cavity cancer” or more simply “oral cancer”, affects the tongue, gingiva, floor of mouth, palate, tonsils and oropharynx.1, 2 However, the most common form of oral cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), can affect any tissue lined with oral mucosal epithelium.2, 3 Oral cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world, ranking eighth and thirteenth for males and females respectively.1 Typically, patients with this cancer are over 40 years of age, although younger patients with regular exposure to risk factors associated with oral cancer can also present with potentially malignant and malignant oral mucosal lesions.1, 3 Known aetiological risk factors include tobacco, betel quid, alcohol, and micronutrient deficiency.1, 3, 4 Avoidance of these will reduce the probability of normal cells transforming to malignant cells.4 In some cases though – namely, oral cancer in women under 45 years of age, tobacco use and alcohol consumption do not appear to play a role.1 Instead, recent studies have suggested human papillomavirus (HPV) as a possible causative factor in cancers of the base of tongue, tonsils and oropharynx.1, 2, 4