Minimally invasive procedures for the recognition and diagnosis of oral precancer and cancer

Dis Mon. 2020 Dec;66(12):101033. doi: 10.1016/j.disamonth.2020.101033. Epub 2020 Jun 30.

Abstract

Oral cancer represents a blend of genetic and epigenetic instability. Many a times, oral cancer occurs in the background of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs), which could be easily detected and diagnosed. Various diagnostic aids have been explored for early detection of oral cancer. Some of the minimally invasive (chair-side diagnostic) procedures such as vital staining and light-based systems are used widely in the clinical practice as well as in the hospital setting owing to their simple and easy operability. In addition, these chair-side diagnostic procedures offer relatively good sensitivity and specificity despite some of their limitations. These diagnostic tools could complement good clinical history and thorough examination of patients for early detection of oral precancer and cancer.

Keywords: Chemiluminescence; Diagnostic aids; Minimally invasive; Oral cancer; Oral potentially malignant disorders; Toluidine blue; Vital staining.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Early Detection of Cancer / methods*
  • Humans
  • Mouth Diseases* / diagnosis
  • Mouth Diseases* / pathology
  • Mouth Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Point-of-Care Testing
  • Precancerous Conditions / pathology*