Current aspects and future strategies in oral cancer research: A review

Oral cancer is a serious and rapidly growing life threatening issue in many parts of the world. Oral and oropharyngeal cancer grouped together, forms the sixth most common cancer in the world.[1] It constitutes approximately 5% of all cancers globally, with 60,000 new cases of oral cancer is reported every year in India.[2] Of the 0.3 million annual cancer related deaths in India, nearly 33% arise from tobacco-related cancers.[1] Oral cancer is associated with mutations in genes that regulate cell growth and apoptosis leading to uncontrolled proliferation of tumor cells, which occur due to the exposure to tobacco, alcohol, betel quid, etc.[1] Recently, alarming changes noticed in the presentation of oral cancer in younger age group i.e. those 40 years or younger with a signifi cant percentage of them having no habits is both enigmatic and disconcerting. Having cancer is in itself tragic, having it at a younger age is cataclysmic.[1] Despite best treatment a person aff ected by oral cancer may remain socially and functionally handicapped substantial rise in mortality rates among the young individuals have provoked the researchers from various countries to undergo a comprehensive research in oral cancer. The etiology of oral cancer is multifactorial.[3,4] Though tobacco and tobacco products accounts for three-fourths for the development of oral cancer but several other etiological factors are also involved in the development of oral cancer.[1,3,4] Some of the suggested etiological agents of oral cancer are tobacco and its related products, alcohol, human papilloma virus (HPV) type 16, 18 infections, chronic irritation, acinitic radiation, various forms of drug abuse etc.[1,5] Prognosis of oral cancer is very discouraging because it is generally diagnosed at a very advanced stage. However, if oral cancer is detected at an early stage it not only has a good prognosis but can increase the survival rate and can improve the quality of life of the patient also.[1]