Molecular screening of oral precancer.

Objectives: Early detection and treatment of high risk premalignant mucosal changes of the oral cavity, will expectedly improve survival and reduce treatment-related morbidity. Aims of this study were to evaluate a non-invasive screening approach and to assess the value of molecular markers to identify patients at risk for oral cancer.

Materials And Methods: Exfoliated cells and biopsies were obtained from oral leukoplakia lesions of 43 patients, of whom six developed oral cancer.

Prognostic value of DNA ploidy status in patients with oral leukoplakia.

Oral leukoplakia is a potentially malignant disorder that will develop into oral cancer at an estimated rate of 1-2% per year. Aim of the present study is to assess the possible predictive value of DNA ploidy for malignant progression of oral leukoplakia. A cohort of 62 leukoplakia patients was studied and their biopsy was examined with standard histopathology and DNA image cytometry.

Evaluation of cornulin, keratin 4, keratin 13 expression and grade of dysplasia for predicting malignant progression of oral leukoplakia.

Oral leukoplakia is defined as a white patch in the oral cavity that cannot be diagnosed as any other known disorder. These lesions carry an increased risk of malignant progression, and approximately 2-3% per year do progress to cancer. At present biopsies are histopathologically graded for dysplasia to assess the risk of progression, but this grading is somewhat subjective and of limited use for the individual patient.

Screening for oral precancer with noninvasive genetic cytology.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas develop in precancerous fields consisting of genetically altered mucosal epithelial cells. These precancerous fields may appear as clinically visible lesions, in particular, oral leukoplakia, but the large majority remains clinically undetectable. The aim of this study was to assess the potential value of a noninvasive screening approach to detect precancerous fields.

Comparative evaluation of genetic assays to identify oral pre-cancerous fields.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinomas often develop in a pre-cancerous field, defined as mucosal epithelium with cancer-related genetic alterations, and which may appear as a clinically visible lesion. The test characteristics of three genetic assays that were developed to detect pre-cancerous fields were investigated and compared to histology.

Methods: In total, 10 pre-cancerous fields that were not visible at clinical inspection and gave rise to malignant transformation based on an identical TP53 mutation in tumor and mucosal epithelium in the surgical margin, as well as 10 normal oral mucosa specimens were analyzed for numerical chromosomal changes with multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA), for loss of heterozygosity (LOH), with microsatellite PCR and for DNA index alterations with DNA image analysis.

A noninvasive genetic screening test to detect oral preneoplastic lesions.

Early diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may have a major impact on survival and quality of life. Recent studies have shown that the majority of OSCC is preceded by precursor lesions characterized by genetic alterations. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a noninvasive screening test for oral preneoplastic lesions, based on genetic alterations as marker.