Treatment of oral precancer is largely based on histological grading of epithelial dysplasia, despite the fact that this estimation is subjective and therefore carries a low reproducibility. The grade of epithelial dysplasia may not be proportional to the risk of malignant potential and clinical characteristics may complement therapeutic decisions. Molecular genetic changes found in oral epithelial dysplasia remain unclear and at present lack clinical significance. Genomic and proliferation markers are likely to be associated with histopathological parameters, but their relationship with the grading of dysplasia remains uncertain. They are potential biomarker candidates but their utility in prognosis of oral precancer deserves further study.
Copyright 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.