Molecular Markers of the Risk of Oral Cancer

Abstract

Oral cancer is the most common neoplasm of the head and neck. Worldwide, the annual incidence of new cases exceeds 300,000. The disease causes great morbidity, and the five-year survival rate of less than 50 percent has not improved in more than two decades.¹ New approaches for controlling this cancer include prevention and early detection in patients with oral leukoplakia (Figure 1), the most common premalignant lesion of the oral cavity. Although the incidence of oral leukoplakia (white patches) is virtually impossible to ascertain, it surely exceeds the incidence of oral cancer. Leukoplakia is a marker of an increased risk . . .