Time-to-Treatment of Oral Cancer and Potentially Malignant Oral Disorders: Findings in Malaysian Public Healthcare.

This study aims to evaluate the time-to-treatment of oral cancer and potentially malignant oral disorders (PMOD) in a Malaysian public healthcare setting while exploring its contributing factors. It consists of (1) a cross-sectional patient survey to quantify time to seek care and barriers faced, and (2) a retrospective medical record abstraction to determine treatment and management intervals. Time intervals were aggregated and analyzed by their primary contributor—patient, professional, or healthcare system.

Overexpression of gamma glutamyl hydrolase predicts extranodal extension in squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity.

Objective: Extranodal extension (ENE) is an important prognostic factor in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). However, ENE is only confirmed postoperatively by histologic assessment of the lymph nodes after neck dissection. Accurate identification of ENE preoperatively would help in management of OSCC.

Household Catastrophic Health Expenditure from Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders and Oral Cancer in Public Healthcare of Malaysia.

Objective: Oral cancer causes a significant disease burden and financial distress, especially among disadvantaged groups. While Malaysia has achieved universal health coverage via its highly subsidized public healthcare, patient and family expenditure for treatment of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) and oral cancer remains a concern in the equitability of care. This study thus aims to estimate household out-of-pocket (OOP) expenditures and the extent of catastrophic healthcare expenditure (CHE) while identifying its predictors.

C-kit Expression in Oral Leukoplakia.

Oral leukoplakia is the most common potentially malignant oral disorder. Oral leukoplakia's malignant potential is independent of the histopathological grade, and the malignant transformation rate varies greatly from 3% to 50% even in the case of severe epithelial dysplasia. Ethnic & environmental variables may contribute to this variation.

DNA Vaccines Targeting Novel Cancer-Associated Antigens Frequently Expressed in Head and Neck Cancer Enhance the Efficacy of Checkpoint Inhibitor.

HPV-independent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is a common cancer globally. The overall response rate to anti-PD1 checkpoint inhibitors (CPIs) in HNSCC is ~16%. One major factor influencing the effectiveness of CPI is the level of tumor infiltrating T cells (TILs).

Comparative sera proteomics analysis of differentially expressed proteins in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has increased in incidence from 1990 to 2017, especially in South and Southeast Asia. It is often diagnosed at an advanced stage with a poor prognosis. Therefore, early detection of OSCC is essential to improve the prognosis of OSCC.

Provider cost of treating oral potentially malignant disorders and oral cancer in Malaysian public hospitals.

Oral cancer has been recognized as a significant challenge to healthcare. In Malaysia, numerous patients frequently present with later stages of cancers to the highly subsidized public healthcare facilities. Such a trend contributes to a substantial social and economic burden.

High referral accuracy for oral cancers and oral potentially malignant disorders using telemedicine.

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of MeMoSA®, a mobile phone application to review images of oral lesions in identifying oral cancers and oral potentially malignant disorders requiring referral.

Subjects And Methods: A prospective study of 355 participants, including 280 with oral lesions/variants was conducted. Adults aged ≥18 treated at tertiary referral centres were included.

Identification of potential glycoprotein biomarkers in oral squamous cell carcinoma using sweet strategies.

The prevalence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is high in South and Southeast Asia regions. Most OSCC patients are detected at advanced stages low 5-year survival rates. Aberrant expression of glycosylated proteins was found to be associated with malignant transformation and cancer progression.

Analysis of octamer-binding transcription factor-4 expression in oral leukoplakia.

Background: Oral potentially malignant disorders have a risk for malignant transformation but are difficult to reliably identify and predict which patients are at the risk for malignant transformation. OCT4 has been hypothesized to play a key oncogenic driver in a variety of solid tumors. A deeper understanding of the aberrant molecular pathways which lead to carcinogenesis needs to be identified by the potential markers.

Survival of Oral Cancer Patients in Different Ethnicities.

Previous studies found that ethnicity influences oral cancer patients' survival; however, most studies were limited to certain ethnic groups particularly from the West, thus of limited relevance to Asians where the disease is most prevalent. We investigated the relationship between ethnicity and patient survival in multi-racial Malaysia. 5-year survival rate was 40.

m-Health for Early Detection of Oral Cancer in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Up to 86% of oral cancer (OC) patients present at the late stage where survival is dismal. Limited access to specialist diagnosis is a significant factor for late presentation. The increasing use of smartphones presents an opportunity to use digital technology to facilitate early detection of OC.

Synergistic Growth Inhibition by Afatinib and Trametinib in Preclinical Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Models.

Background: Given that aberrant activation of epidermal growth factor receptor family receptors (ErbB) is a common event in oral squamous cell carcinoma, and that high expression of these receptor proteins is often associated with poor prognosis, this rationalizes the approach of targeting ErbB signaling pathways to improve the survival of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. However, monotherapy with the ErbB blocker afatinib has shown limited survival benefits.

Objectives: This study was performed to identify mechanisms of afatinib resistance and to explore potential afatinib-based combination treatments with other targeted inhibitors in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Multi-ethnic variations in the practice of oral cancer risk habits in a developing country.

Objective: To elucidate ethnic variations in the practice of oral cancer risk habits in a selected Malaysian population.

Methods: This retrospective case-control study involves 790 cases of cancers of the oral cavity and 450 controls presenting with non-malignant oral diseases, recruited from seven hospital-based centres nationwide. Data on risk habits (smoking, drinking, chewing) were obtained using a structured questionnaire via face-to-face interviews.

Prognostic significance of VEGF-C in predicting micrometastasis and isolated tumour cells in N0 oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Lymph node metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a well-known independent prognostic factor. However, the identification of occult tumour cells within the lymph nodes has remained a challenge for the pathologist as well as the clinician.

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of micrometastasis and isolated tumour cells (ITCs) in pathologically staged N0 OSCC of the tongue and buccal mucosa and to assess its correlation with vascular endothelial growth factor C, (VEGF-C) expression in the primary tumour.

Genetically-defined novel oral squamous cell carcinoma cell lines for the development of molecular therapies.

Emerging biological and translational insights from large sequencing efforts underscore the need for genetically-relevant cell lines to study the relationships between genomic alterations of tumors, and therapeutic dependencies. Here, we report a detailed characterization of a novel panel of clinically annotated oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines, derived from patients with diverse ethnicity and risk habits. Molecular analysis by RNAseq and copy number alterations (CNA) identified that the cell lines harbour CNA that have been previously reported in OSCC, for example focal amplications in 3q, 7p, 8q, 11q, 20q and deletions in 3p, 5q, 8p, 18q.

Audit of Turnaround Time for a Training Oral Histopathology Laboratory in Malaysia.

Background: Turnaround time (TAT) is the benchmark to assess the performance of a laboratory, pathologists, and pathology services, but there are few articles on TAT of surgical pathology, particularly in relation to oral or head and neck specimens. This study investigates the TAT for oral histopathology reporting in an academic institution's training laboratory and offers recommendations to achieve better overall quality of diagnostic services.

Methods: This study examined data obtained from biopsy request forms for specimens received from the Oro-Maxillofacial Surgery Department of Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Klang in the Oral Pathology Diagnostic Laboratory of the Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya, over a period of 3 years between January 2012 and October 2014.

Collagen Triple Helix Repeat Containing-1 (CTHRC1) Expression in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC): Prognostic Value and Clinico-Pathological Implications.

Background: Collagen Triple Helix Repeat Containing 1 (CTHRC1) is a protein often found to be over-expressed in various types of human cancers. However, correlation between CTHRC1 expression level with clinico-pathological characteristics and prognosis in oral cancer remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to determine mRNA and protein expression of CTHRC1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to evaluate the clinical and prognostic impact of CTHRC1 in OSCC.

Co-Expression of TWIST1 and ZEB2 in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma Is Associated with Poor Survival.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an aggressive disease accounting for more than 260,000 cancer cases diagnosed and 128,000 deaths worldwide. A large majority of cancer deaths result from cancers that have metastasized beyond the primary tumor. The relationship between genetic changes and clinical outcome can reflect the biological events that promote cancer's aggressive behavior, and these can serve as molecular markers for improved patient management and survival.

Caveolin 1 (Cav-1) and actin-related protein 2/3 complex, subunit 1B (ARPC1B) expressions as prognostic indicators for oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Caveolin-1 (Cav-1) and Actin-Related Protein 2/3 Complex, Subunit 1B (ARPC1B) have been implicated in various human cancers, yet its role in tumorigenesis remains controversial. Therefore, this study aims to determine the protein expression of these two genes in oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) and to evaluate the clinical and prognostic impact of these genes in OSCC. Protein expressions of these two genes were determined by immunohistochemistry technique.

Downregulation of CRNN gene and genomic instability at 1q21.3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: This study includes the direct sequencing of cornulin (CRNN) gene to elucidate the possible mechanism of CRNN downregulation and explore the genetic imbalances at 1q21.3 across oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) samples.

Materials And Methods: In mutation screening of CRNN gene, gDNA from OSCC tissues were extracted, amplified, and followed by direct sequencing.

KRT13, FAIM2 and CYP2W1 mRNA expression in oral squamous cell carcinoma patients with risk habits.

Background: Expression of KRT13, FAIM2 and CYP2W1 appears to be influenced by risk habits, thus exploring the associations of these genes in oral squamous cell cancer (OSCC) with risk habits, clinico-pathological parameters and patient survival may be beneficial in identifying relevant biomarkers with different oncogenic pathways.

Materials And Methods: cDNAs from 41 OSCC samples with and without risk habits were included in this study. Quantitative real-time PCR was used to analyze KRT13, FAIM2 and CYP2W1 in OSCC.