Resection of malignancy through maxillectomy and subsequent maxillofacial prosthetics provides adequate swallowing function and rehabilitation. The aim of this study was to verify whether there is association between changes in swallowing and the oropharyngeal geometry in maxillectomy patients with and without using transsurgical palatal obturators (TPO).

The study includes 7 maxillectomy patients, TPO users who underwent complementary radiotherapy. Outcome variables were investigated by acoustic pharyngometry (APh) and fiberoptic endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (FEES) to assess the oropharyngeal geometry and swallowing, respectively with and without TPO. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics (postoperative radiotherapy, type of surgery, type of obturator, time elapsed between adaptation and the swallowing test) were evaluated. To compare with and without TPO conditions, Mann-Whitney test and Spearman's correlation coefficient were used.

Swallowing variables: early escape and nasopharyngeal reflux showed better results with TPO (p = 0.021 and p = 0.029, respectively) compared to swallowing without TPO. The oropharyngeal geometry was not statistically associated with swallowing changes.

Oropharyngeal measures by APh compared to the swallowing evaluation by FEES showed a correlation between early escape and longer length of the vocal tract in individuals with TPO. Swallowing in maxillectomy patients showed significant improvement with the use of transsurgical palatal obturator, related to the lack of early escape and absence of nasopharyngeal reflux.

To describe the epidemiological status of oral cancer (OC) in India along with updates on risk factors, advances and gaps in preventive measures, treatment, costs of care and monitoring.

Two national estimates of incidence and mortality were cited, one for 2016 by the Global Burden of Disease India Study and one based on projections for 2020 by GLOBOCAN. The National Cancer Registry Project provided local and regional incidence and trends using data from 2012-2016. Scientific literature, reports of the NCRP, the IARC and government press releases were also consulted.

Tobacco and areca nut habits are the major risk factors for OC in India. In the 1980s, intervention studies on oral screening, awareness generation and habit cessation in rural areas reduced tobacco use and oral leukoplakia. Lately, adoption of the tobacco control law and mass media communications have resulted in decreased tobacco use. However, the increasing popularity of highly carcinogenic tobacco products containing areca nut, with evasion of their bans, is increasing OC incidence.

Despite advances in care, there is growing incidence of OC, persisting poor awareness about the need to quit tobacco/areca nut/alcohol use and go for screening. Major efforts are needed to implement preventive activities.

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is categorized as an oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) with an increased risk of occurrence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). In this study, we aimed to identify the hub genes associated with OSMF and OSCC.

Using RStudio, a set of differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in (A) OSMF, (B) OSCC, and (C) comparative OSMF-OSCC category, obtained from Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). The Protein to Protein Interaction (PPI) Network, hub genes, and functional annotation were determined using Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes (STRING), Cytoscape, and SR-Plot, Database for Annotation, Visualization and Integrated Discovery (DAVID).

A total of 2081, 2320, and 3295 DEGs were obtained from the OSMF, OSCC, and comparative categories, respectively. Hub gene and gene enrichment analysis revealed that the genes in (A) MYH6, TTN, TNNT3, MYL1, TPM2, ACTN3, NEB, MYL2, TNNT1, and TPM1; (B) CD4, SELL, CD28, CD27, PRF1, CD80, GZMB, CD40LG, ITGAX, and IL4; and (C) CD4, CD8A, CTLA4, CD28, GZMB, IL79, CD69, CD40LG, IFNG, and CD80 categories, were associated with muscle contraction, cell proliferation, and malignant transformation.

Hub genes and functional enrichment analysis revealed the diagnostic genes and the genes responsible for the malignant transformation in OSMF, OSCC, and the comparative category. A panel of identified genes will be of clinical significance in targeted therapy in future studies. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol YEAR;VOL:page range).

This study aimed to formulate the hesperetin nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) containing oro-mucosal gel for its activity assessment on the KB cell line. NLCs were prepared with glyceryl monostearate, oleic acid, and lecithin using a modified constant-temperature emulsification technique. The particle size analysis, in vitro drug release studies, etc., of prepared NLCs were evaluated. The formulated gels were analyzed with respect to spreadability, extrudability, swelling index, texture analysis, etc. The particle size, polydispersity index, zeta potential, and drug entrapment of nanocarriers were recorded to be 221.733 ± 61.536 nm, 0.381 ± 0.091, - 51.433 ± 4.143 mV, and 89.29%, respectively. The optimized NLCs in 24 h released 87.14 ± 6.62% of the drug. The round shape of NLCs was noticed with scanning electron microscopy. The pH, spreadability, extrudability, swelling index, content uniformity, and drug release studies of hesperetin NLCs-containing gel (HNG) were found to be 6.81 ± 0.04, 2.49 ± 0.04 cm.mg/s, 539.04 ± 32.88 g/cm2, 4.27 ± 0.47, 107.98 ± 1.93%, and 90.17 ± 6.67% (in 48 h), respectively. The developed formulations showed promising in vitro anticancer and antioxidant activities. HNP results authorize that the formulation may be beneficial for the treatment of oral cancer.

Oral cancer and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMD) are major health problems in South and Southeast Asia.

To describe and discuss the clinical aspects of Oral Cancer and OPMD in South and Southeast Asia.

Literature review of concepts and data over the last four decades.

Asian countries account for about two-thirds of new cases of oral cancer (OC) globally, with the highest burden in the South and Southeast Asian countries, including Pakistan and India. Habits, dietary patterns, socioeconomic status, and access to routine dental care play a crucial role in defining the demographics and clinical presentation of OC in these regions and significantly influence the morbidity and mortality of the disease. This region sees the use of different types of tobacco with or without areca nut (AN), such as pan masala, gutka, gul, snuff, mawa, and mishri. Tobacco use is high among men in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Maldives, Bangladesh, Nepal, India and Bhutan. Areca nut is the fourth most common addictive substance globally and is frequently used in South and Southeast Asian countries, including Southeast China, Hainan Island, India, Taiwan, and the Pacific Islands, and immigrants from these regions in Africa, Europe, and North America. The use of these products results in mucosal alterations with varied clinical presentation of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs) and OC. We discuss here the different types of OPMD and OC, the diagnostic aids and their relevance in clinical practice, and factors that influence their prognosis.

Oral cancer (OC) is a significant global health burden, with life-saving improvements in survival and outcomes being dependent on early diagnosis and precise treatment planning. However, diagnosis and treatment planning are predicated on the synthesis of complicated information derived from clinical assessment, imaging, histopathology and patient histories. Artificial intelligence-based clinical decision support systems (AI-CDSS) provides a viable solution that can be implemented via advanced methodologies for data analysis, and synthesis for better diagnostic and prognostic evaluation. This review presents AI-CDSS as a promising solution through advanced methodologies for comprehensive data analysis. In addition, it examines current implementations of AI-CDSS that facilitate early OC detection, precise staging, and personalized treatment planning by processing multimodal patient information through machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing. These systems effectively interpret clinical results, identify critical disease patterns (including clinical stage, site, tumor dimensions, histopathologic grading, and molecular profiles), and construct comprehensive patient profiles. This comprehensive AI-CDSS approach allows for early cancer detection, a reduction in diagnostic delays and improved intervention outcomes. Moreover, the AI-CDSS also optimizes treatment plans on the basis of unique patient parameters, tumor stages and risk factors, providing personalized therapy.

Oral cancer is an important health challenge worldwide and accurate survival time prediction of this disease can guide treatment decisions. This study aims to propose a deep learning-based model, DeepOmicsSurv, to predict survival in oral cancer patients using clinical and multi-omics data.

DeepOmicsSurv builds on the DeepSurv model, incorporating multi-head attention convolutional layers, dropout, pooling, and batch normalization to boost its strength and precision. Various dimensionality reduction techniques, including Principal Component Analysis (PCA), Kernel PCA, Non-Negative Matrix Factorization (NMF), Singular Value Decomposition (SVD), Partial Least Squares (PLS), Multidimensional Scaling (MDS), and Autoencoders, were employed to manage the high-dimensional omics data. The model's performance was evaluated against DeepSurv, DeepHit, Cox Proportional Hazards (CoxPH), Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN), and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN). Additionally, SHapley Additive Explanations (SHAP) was used to analyze the impact of clinical features on survival predictions.

DeepOmicsSurv achieved a C-index of 0.966, MSE of 0.0138, RMSE of 0.1174, MAE of 0.0795, and MedAE of 0.0515, outperforming other deep learning models. Among various dimensionality reduction techniques, autoencoder performed the best with DeepOmicsSurv. SHAP analysis showed that Age, AJCC N Stage, alcohol history and patient smoking history are prevalent clinical features for survival time.

In conclusion, DeepOmicsSurv has the potential to predict survival time in oral cancer patients. This model achieved high accuracy with various data types including Clinical, DNAmethylation + clinical, mRNA + clinical, Copy number alteration + clinical, or multi-omics data. Additionally, SHAP analysis reveals clinical factors that influence survival time.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most prevalent of all the oral cancers. There is no definitive marker available for its early diagnosis and its effective prognosis. YAP serves as a transcriptional regulator in hippo tumor suppressor pathway thereby activating the transcription of genes taking part in cellular proliferation, alteration, migration, and invasion. On the contrary, PARK2 acts as a tumor suppressor and has been widely explored in various malignancies. However, its role in OSCC carcinogenesis is untrodden.

To evaluate the Immunohistochemical expression of YAP and PARK2 in oral epithelial dysplasia and Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and establish them as prognostic markers.

The study sample consisted of 70 formalin fixed paraffin embedded tissue sections of normal oral mucosa (10), oral epithelial dysplasia (30) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (30). Immunohistochemical analysis of YAP and PARK2 was done and final scores were calculated. Further, the markers were graded as low and high expression groups. Statistical analysis was done using chi-square test, cox regression analysis and Spearman's correlation. Kaplan Meier plot for survival analysis was also plotted.

Immunohistochemical expression of YAP depicted a gradual incline from normal oral mucosa to oral squamous cell carcinoma while PARK2 showed a reverse trend. Significant difference of YAP and PARK2 expression between three groups was noted. Inverse moderate degree of correlation was observed between both the markers in OSCC group.

Concomitant immunoexpression of YAP and PARK2 with a moderate degree of inverse correlation from normal oral mucosa to oral squamous cell carcinoma could probably serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers as they might act through a common mechanism, probably hippo/YAP signaling, which could be further confirmed by larger sample size, including longer follow up in future studies.

Oral diseases rank among the most widespread ailments worldwide posing significant global health and economic challenges affecting around 3.5 billion people, impacting the quality of life for affected individuals. Dental caries, periodontal disease, bacterial and fungal infections, tooth loss and oral malignancies are among the most prevalent global clinical disorders contributing to oral health burden. Traditional treatments for oral diseases often face challenges such as poor drug bioavailability, breakdown of medication in saliva, inconsistent antibiotic levels at the site of periodontal infection as well as higher side effects. However, the emergence of nanoemulgel (NEG) as an innovative drug delivery system offers promising solutions where NEG combines the advantages of both nanoemulsions (NEs) and hydrogels providing improved drug solubility, stability, and targeted delivery. Due to their minuscule size and ability to control drug release, NEGs hold promise for improving treatment of oral diseases, where versatility of these delivery systems makes them suitable for various applications, including topical delivery in dentistry. This review concisely outlines the anatomy of the oral environment and investigates the therapeutic potential of NE-based gels in oral disorder treatment. It thoroughly examines the challenges of drug delivery in the oral cavity and proposes strategies to improve therapeutic efficacy, drawing attention to previous research reports for comparison. Through comprehensive analysis, the review highlights the promising role of NEGs as a novel therapeutic approach for oral health management via research advancements and their clinical translation. Additionally, it provides valuable insights into future research directions and development opportunities in this area.

Patients with oral cancer are more susceptible to emotional and psychological consequences immediately after diagnosis and treatment phase, which may cause depressive disorders. The WHO defines depression as a disorder that lasts at least 2 weeks and is characterised by a person's protracted unhappiness and loss of interest in activities. Patients psychological responses vary widely according to fears of recurrence, coping mechanisms, health beliefs and available financial support. Individual planning of the treatment and different ways of approach are necessary to beat the psychological fear in patients. Here, we present a case study of a male patient who developed psychological distress following his diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma arising from areca nut-induced oral fibrosis. This case highlights the significance of early identification, focused therapies and psychological screening as a means of successfully resolving their psychological issues and ultimately enhancing the quality of oncology intervention.

Desquamative gingivitis is an immunological chronic disease that is considered precancerous and has the potential to develop into squamous cell carcinoma. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), a common tumor marker, increases in many cancers. The present study compared salivary CEA levels in desquamative gingivitis before and after topical corticosteroid therapy.

This case‒control study was conducted in the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, Tabriz Faculty of Dentistry. Twenty patients with desquamative gingivitis in oral lichen planus (OLP) background were selected as the case group, with 20 healthy individuals as the control group. Desquamative gingivitis lesions were confirmed with biopsies. Salivary samples were obtained from both groups. Second, salivary samples were collected from the case group after a course of topical corticosteroid therapy. Salivary CEA levels were measured by a monobind kit using the ELISA method. Independent and paired t-tests were used to analyze the data in SPSS 17. P<0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Before treatment, CEA levels were significantly higher in the case group (174.06±95.55) than in the control group (55.66±41.26 ng/mL) (P<0.001). Salivary CEA levels in the case group decreased significantly after the treatment (96.77±66.25 ng/mL) compared to before treatment (174.06±95.55 ng/mL) (P<0.001).

This study demonstrated that CEA levels significantly decreased in patients with desquamative gingivitis associated with oral lichenoid reaction after receiving topical corticosteroid therapy.

The present study aimed to optimize a mouth-dissolving film (MDF) made from Pongamia pinnata stem bark extract to increase patient compliance and accelerate oral disease therapy. Several stem bark extracts were prepared, and karanjin was used as an herbal marker for the extracts. The ethanolic extract showed the maximum yield (12.10% ± 0.09%) and cytotoxic activity against human oral cancer (KB 3-1) and embryonic kidney cell lines. The MDF formulation was focused on incorporating a fixed amount of the extract and varying concentrations of HPMC E5 polymer, along with evaluating the performance of plasticizers like PEG 400 and propylene glycol (PG). An optimized formulation was determined based on disintegration time, wetting time, and folding endurance. The formulation consisted of HPMC E5 as a film-forming polymer, PG as a superior plasticizer, ascorbic acid as an antioxidant, and other ingredients contributing to solubility, dispersion, sweetening, and appearance. High-performance thin-layer chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis confirmed higher levels of karanjin in the optimized formulation, ensuring its successful incorporation and stability. Taste masking evaluations indicate a favorable taste profile and a high potential for patient compliance. The stability study displayed no significant changes in the physical characteristics of the film, affirming its stability and quality. In conclusion, the developed herbal-based optimized MDF presents a promising drug delivery system, offering enhanced patient compliance, taste masking, and stability. The MDF holds great potential for effective treatment and management of oral diseases, providing convenience and improved therapeutic outcomes.

High-dose-rate (HDR) interstitial brachytherapy (ISBT) is a curative treatment option for head and neck cancer patients. However, its overall utilization has been declining, particularly in newer cancer setups. This study investigated challenges in ISBT implementation, and reported initial outcomes of early-stage oral cancer patients in a newly established tertiary cancer center.

After reviewing guidelines and addressing administrative requirements, ISBT program was launched. Key steps in the process included establishing brachytherapy suite, staff training, and optimizing workflows. Alongside standard protocols, additional procedures, such as clinical drawing templates, intra-oral ultrasound, and intra-oral spacers were implemented. From August 2020 to July 2022, 18 patients with early-stage (cT1-2N0M0) oral cancer (tongue = 13, lip = 3, buccal mucosa = 2) received treatment with either ISBT alone (n = 3) or external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), followed by ISBT with HDR cobalt-60 source (n = 15). Treatment characteristics, oncological outcomes, and morbidity profiles were analyzed.

The median age of the cohort was 55 years (range, 29-75 years), with two-thirds of males. The majority had T1 stage (72.2%), with infiltrative growth pattern (72.2%). All patients with oral tongue cancer, 1 lip and 1 buccal mucosa cancer, received elective nodal irradiation with EBRT, followed by ISBT, achieving a total median EQD2 of 74 Gy. The remaining 3 patients (2 with lip and 1 with buccal mucosa primary) received ISBT alone. Post-treatment complete response was observed in 17 patients (94.4%), with no cases of acute toxicity > grade 2. At a median follow-up of 32 months, an overall 3-year local-regional control and overall survival rates were 67.9% and 72.7%, respectively. One patient developed grade 3 myelopathy, and one grade 3 osteoradionecrosis.

Implementing ISBT in a newly established cancer center is feasible and effective for early-stage oral cancer, providing moderate oncological outcomes with manageable toxicity profile.

Background/Objectives: Oral cancer, the sixth most common cancer worldwide, is linked to smoke, alcohol, and HPV. This scoping analysis summarized early-onset oral cancer diagnosis applications to address a gap. Methods: A scoping review identified, selected, and synthesized AI-based oral cancer diagnosis, screening, and prognosis literature. The review verified study quality and relevance using frameworks and inclusion criteria. A full search included keywords, MeSH phrases, and Pubmed. Oral cancer AI applications were tested through data extraction and synthesis. Results: AI outperforms traditional oral cancer screening, analysis, and prediction approaches. Medical pictures can be used to diagnose oral cancer with convolutional neural networks. Smartphone and AI-enabled telemedicine make screening affordable and accessible in resource-constrained areas. AI methods predict oral cancer risk using patient data. AI can also arrange treatment using histopathology images and address data heterogeneity, restricted longitudinal research, clinical practice inclusion, and ethical and legal difficulties. Future potential includes uniform standards, long-term investigations, ethical and regulatory frameworks, and healthcare professional training. Conclusions: AI may transform oral cancer diagnosis and treatment. It can develop early detection, risk modelling, imaging phenotypic change, and prognosis. AI approaches should be standardized, tested longitudinally, and ethical and practical issues related to real-world deployment should be addressed.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common form of oral cancer, with increasing global incidence and have poor prognosis. Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) are recognized as a key prognostic indicator and play a vital role in OSCC grading. However, current methods for TILs quantification are based on subjective visual assessments, leading to inter-observer variability and inconsistent diagnostic reproducibility. Only a few studies have been conducted in automating TILs quantification for OSCC, existing methods use score-based systems that focus only on tissue-level spatial analysis, overlooking essential cellular-level information and do not provide TILs infiltration subcategories required for determining OSCC grading. To address these limitations, we propose OralTILs-ViT, a novel joint representation learning framework that integrates cellular and tissue-level information. Our model employs two parallel encoders: one extracts cellular features from cellular density maps, while the other processes tissue features from H&E-stained tissue images. This dual-encoder approach enables OralTILs-ViT to capture complex tissue-cellular interactions, classifying TILs infiltration categories consistent with Broders' grading system-"Moderate to Marked", "Slight" and "None to Very Less." This approach reflects pathology practices and increases TILs classification accuracy. To generate cellular density maps, we introduce TILSeg-MobileViT, a multiclass segmentation model trained using a weakly supervised method, minimizing the need for manual annotation of cellular masks and overcoming the limitations of previous TILs assessment techniques. An extensive evaluation of our methodology demonstrates that OralTILs-ViT with the configuration (Adam, α = 0.001) outperforms existing approaches, achieving 96.37% accuracy, 96.34% precision, 96.37% recall, and a 96.35% F1 score. Furthermore, TOPSIS analysis confirms that our method ranks first across all TILs infiltration categories. In summary, our proposed methodology outperforms single modality-representation learning approaches for accurate and automated TILs classification.

Exosomes, small extracellular vesicles secreted by various cells, play crucial roles in the pathogenesis and treatment of oral diseases. Recent studies have highlighted their involvement in orthodontics, periodontitis, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), and hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). Exosomes have a positive effect on the inflammatory environment of the oral cavity, remodeling and regeneration of oral tissues, and offer promising therapeutic options for bone and periodontal tissue restoration. In OSCC tumor-derived exosomes promote cancer progression through cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis, and serve as potential biomarkers for early diagnosis and prognosis. Additionally, engineered exosomes constructed specifically based on exosome properties hold great promise for targeted drug delivery and regenerative therapies such as bone regeneration in orthodontics and periodontal healing. With continued research, exosomes hold great potential for improving diagnosis and treatment in oral diseases, advancing personalized and regenerative therapies.

As the 16th most common cancer globally, oral cancer yearly accounts for some 355,000 new cases. This study underlines that an early diagnosis can improve the prognosis and cut down on mortality. It discloses a multifaceted approach to the detection of oral cancer, including clinical examination, biopsies, imaging techniques, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence and deep learning methods. This study is distinctive in that it provides a thorough analysis of the most recent AI-based methods for detecting oral cancer, including deep learning models and machine learning algorithms that use convolutional neural networks. By improving the precision and effectiveness of cancer cell detection, these models eventually make early diagnosis and therapy possible. This study also discusses the importance of techniques in image pre-processing and segmentation in improving image quality and feature extraction, an essential component of accurate diagnosis. These techniques have shown promising results, with classification accuracies reaching up to 97.66% in some models. Integrating the conventional methods with the cutting-edge AI technologies, this study seeks to advance early diagnosis of oral cancer, thus enhancing patient outcomes and cutting down on the burden this disease is imposing on healthcare systems.

Cancer is one of the major life-threatening diseases in the world and oral cancer is the 8th most common type of deadly cancers in Asian countries. Despite many causes, tobacco is the main causative agent as 90% of oral cancer cases were due to daily consumption of tobacco and its products. The major drawback of the conventional therapies for oral cancer including chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy or combination of these is the dose limiting toxicity. Developments in technology and research led to new innovative discoveries in cancer treatments. In the past few decades, increased attention has been given to researches in alternative cancer treatment strategies using plants and plant products. Recently many anticancer drugs from natural products or phytochemicals were approved internationally. Due to the low bioavailability and poor solubility of phytochemicals, various research works on nano-carrier based drug delivery systems were exploited in the recent past to make them as promising anticancer agents. In the current review, an overview of oral cancer and its treatment, risk factors, missing links of conventional therapies, contribution of nanotechnology in cancer treatment and research on phytochemical based drug treatment and different polymeric nanoparticles were discussed briefly. The future prospects for the use of various types of polymeric nanoparticles applied in the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer were also mentioned. The major concern of this review is to give the reader a better understanding on various types of treatment for oral cancer.

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) is a widespread and challenging disease that accounts for 94% of cancers of the oral cavity worldwide. Bacteriophages (phages) have shown promise as a potential theranostic agent for the treatment of OSCC. It may offer advantages in overcoming the challenges of conventional methods. Modern high-throughput pyrosequencing techniques confirm the presence of specific bacterial strains associated with OSCC. Bio-panning and filamentous phages facilitate visualization of the peptide on surfaces and show high affinity in OSCC cells. The peptide has the potential to bind integrin (αvβ6), aid in diagnosis, and inhibit the proliferation of OSCC cells. Mimotopes of tumor-associated antigens show cytotoxic and immune responses against cancer cells. Biomarker-based approaches such as transferrin enable early OSCC diagnosis. A modified temperate phage introduces CRISPR-Cas3 to target antimicrobial-resistant bacteria associated with OSCC. The research findings highlight the evolving field of phage diagnostics and therapy and represent a new avenue for non-invasive, targeted approaches to the detection and treatment of OSCC. However, extensive clinical research is required to validate the efficacy of phages in innovative cancer theranostic strategies.

Deregulated DNA damage response (DDR) network is implicated in cancer progression and therapy resistance.

The present study was designed to investigate whether nimbolide, an anticancer neem limonoid, targets key components of the DDR signalling pathway in cellular and animal models of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

OSCC cells (SCC-4 and SCC-9), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced hamster buccal pouch (HBP) carcinoma model, chemoresistant OSCC patient-derived xenograft (PDX) model established in athymic nude mice, and tissue sections from patients with oral premalignant/malignant disease were used for the study. Key molecules that orchestrate the DDR, including the MRN complex, ATM, DNA-PKcs, H2AX, and p53, were analysed by qRTPCR, immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and immunohistochemistry. Cell proliferation and apoptosis indices were evaluated.

Nimbolide significantly reduced 8-oxodG levels, expression of MRN, ATMS1891, and γ- H2AX, with an increase in p-p53S15 in OSCC cells as well as in the HBP model. Nimbolide potentiated the effect of KU-55933 in ATM inhibition. In the PDX model, nimbolide suppressed tumor formation, stimulated DDR and apoptosis, inhibited cell proliferation, and enhanced sensitivity to cisplatin. Analysis of p-ATM expression revealed a significant increase during the sequential progression of hamster and human OSCC.

This study provides compelling evidence that nimbolide functions as a DDR inhibitor in cellular and hamster OSCC models and as a DDR activator in the PDX model primarily by targeting ATM. Small molecules like nimbolide that modulate DDR are of immense benefit in cancer therapy. The study has also unveiled p-ATM as a promising biomarker of tumour progression in human OSCCs.

An altered blood lipid profile has been considered as a diagnostic and/or prognostic marker for cancer. Since oral cancer is usually preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and share common etiopathogenesis, thus researchers have tried to explore the role of blood lipid profile as a marker for OPMDs; however, no consensus has been made regarding the utilization of serum lipid profile as a biomarker for oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF). Thus, the present article aimed to validate serum lipid profile as a biomarker for OSMF.

PubMed, Scopus, Google Scholar and Clinical key databases were searched for relevant articles. Thirty-six studies that met the eligibility criteria were included for qualitative review, however, out of these, 27 studies with specific data for OSMF and the control group were included in the meta-analysis.

A significant reduction in very low-density lipoprotein (p = 0.042), low density lipoprotein (p = 0.006), high density lipoprotein (p = 0.020), triglyceride (p = 0.049) and total cholesterol (p = 0.009) levels in blood were observed in OSMF patients in comparison to healthy controls whereas no significant difference was seen in contrast to oral squamous cell carcinoma patients.

Although a significant alteration was observed in lipid levels in OSMF patients, considerable heterogeneity in all the studied parameters implies that blood lipid profile could not be used as a reliable biomarker for OSMF and require further investigation.

Recent advances in nanotechnology, particularly those utilizing polymeric nanocomposites, have garnered significant attention for their effectiveness and biocompatibility in cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this study, a chitosan-okra mucilage polymeric nanocomposite doped with nano zero-valent iron (CS-OM-nZVI), synthesized using green chemistry principles, was evaluated for its anti-cancer activity against drug-resistant oral carcinoma cells (KBChR). The nanocomposite was created from chitosan, mucilage derived from okra biomass, and nano zerovalent iron particles synthesized through chemical reduction. The resulting nanocomposite exhibited a highly stable, crystalline nanoscale structure with excellent stability. Anti-cancer activity was assessed by measuring cell viability, apoptosis induction, oxidative stress markers, DNA fragmentation, and performing in silico docking studies between the components of the polymeric nanocomposite (CS-OM-nZVI) and key proteins involved in carcinoma pathogenesis. The nanocomposite demonstrated significant anticancer activity, with an IC50 of 600 μg/mL, indicating notable effects on cell viability. It also induced significant morphological changes associated with apoptosis, such as chromatin condensation and nuclear fragmentation. Additionally, the nanocomposite had a marked effect on oxidative stress markers, particularly catalase and superoxide dismutase activity. In silico docking studies revealed that the polymeric composite modulates and enhances both intrinsic and extrinsic apoptotic pathways, confirmed by chitosan's binding to Caspase-3. This study suggests that the prepared nanocomposite is a promising anti-cancer agent against drug-resistant oral carcinoma cells, demonstrating a significant impact on cancer cell viability.

PD-L1 is a glycoprotein present on antigen-presenting cells and malignant cells and activates the PD-L1 receptor on cells surfaces, leading to T-cell anergy and death. The objective of this study was to assess PD-L1 tumoral expression in 50 patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma, define its prognostic value, and investigate its association with 2-year overall survival, locoregional recurrence, distant metastasis, and a number of other clinicopathological parameters. In a 24-month prospective observational study, involving 50 oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma patients, PD-L1 tumoral expression was evaluated using semiquantitative immunohistochemistry analysis by an experienced pathologist. PD-L1 expression of ≥ 6% of tumor cells was associated with poor survival outcome and determined to be a pertinent clinical cutoff value. PD-L1 expression of ≥ 6% was significantly associated with a number of clinicopathological parameters in our study of 50 patients with OSCC. Pathological nodal staging (P = 0.00), lympho-vascular invasion (P = 0.03), extra-nodal extension (P = 0.04), overall staging (P = 0.01), locoregional recurrence (P = 0.00), and distant metastasis (P = 0.00) all showed statistically significant associations. Our study concluded a significant correlation with decreased 2-year overall survival and 2-year disease free survival by using the Kaplan- Meier survival plot for overall survival (p = 0.02) and (p = 0.0002), respectively. The presence of ≥ 6% PD-L1 (CD274) tumoral expression was found to be significantly associated with 2-year overall survival (OS), locoregional recurrence (LRC), distant metastasis (DM), and various clinicopathological parameters. Tumoral PD-L1 was found as a discrete prognostic biomarker which showed significant association with tumor aggressiveness.

Subsite and tumor stage-related heterogeneity in studies on optical tracer-guided sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has led to inconsistent results, limiting the applicability and wider adoption of this technique.

This single-center, prospective validation study conducted in January and February 2022, included 29 consecutive patients with early-stage, node-negative SCC of the buccal mucosa undergoing methylene blue-guided SLNB followed by modified radical neck dissection (considered the reference standard) to determine the identification rate and test validity of SLNB, and secondarily, the clinicopathological factors associated with node-positivity using binary logistic regression.

SLN identification rate with methylene blue was 93.1% with 66 SLNs retrieved in 27 patients, at a median 2 (IQR 2-3) nodes per procedure. Additionally, 644 nodes were grossed in the neck dissection specimens of 29 patients (median yield 24; IQR 17.5-26 per procedure). Overall accuracy of SLNB was 96.3% (95%CI 81.03-99.91%), with sensitivity and negative predictive value of 83.3% (95%CI 35.88-99.58%) and 95.5% (95%CI 77.16-99.88%), respectively. The only factor independently predictive of occult nodal involvement was pathological depth of infiltration (hazard ratio 3.312; 95%CI 1.040-10.546, p = 0.043) which at 6.5 mm was 100% sensitive and 91.3% specific (area under curve 0.975; 95%CI 0.925-1.000).

Methylene blue-guided SLNB may be considered a viable alternative to evaluate the neck in early-stage buccal mucosal SCC with acceptable test validity and reliability. [Registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India (CTRI/2022/01/039523 dated 18th January 2022)].

Oral submucous fibrosis (OSMF) is a potentially malignant disorder (PMD) characterized by a high rate of malignant transformation (MT). OSMF exhibits atrophic epithelium yet has a high proliferation rate. Both p53 and Ki67 are nuclear proteins associated with cell proliferation, detectable in the early stages of oral cancer (OC). This study aimed to analyze the efficacy of p53 and Ki67 immuno-expression as tools for predicting malignant transformation in OSMF cases. The objective was to correlate the expression of p53 and Ki67 with demographic and chewing habits data.

The study group consisted of 60 histopathologically diagnosed cases of OSMF, 60 cases of OC as positive controls, and 60 cases of NOM as negative controls. Immunohistochemistry was performed on neutral-buffered formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of 3 μm thickness, using ready-to-use anti-human p53 protein (clone DO-7) and monoclonal antibody for Ki67 antigen (clone MIB-1). Statistical analysis was conducted using SPSS software version 21, employing the chi-square test (p < 0.05).

The expression of p53 and Ki67 was significantly higher in OSMF samples compared to NOM samples, but lower than in OC samples. When the expression levels of both p53 and Ki67 were correlated with demographic and chewing habits data, the results were statistically significant.

The overexpression of p53 and Ki67 may contribute to the progression of MT in OSM. Early detection of these biomarkers is crucial for preventing MT, which also helps reduce the morbidity and mortality of OC. Therefore, both p53 and Ki67 can serve as predictive biomarkers for the early detection of MT in high-risk OSMF patients.

Oral cancer is the second most prevalent cancer in India and 5% of all cancers in women is contributed by oral cancer. In spite of being a part of national programme, the screening coverage rates remain low. Studies have indicated that the societal status of women and their empowerment plays a role in screening coverage for cancer. The objective of the current study is to estimate the coverage of oral cancer screening among Indian women within reproductive age-group across Indian states and union territories (UTs), to explore the relationship of socioeconomic status (SES) and women empower status (WES) with oral cancer screening coverage across Indian states and union territories (UT). Data from the fifth round of the nationally representative cross-sectional survey (National Family Health Survey, NFHS-2019-2021) was used in the present study with 3,48,882 individuals being included in the final analysis. We have cross-tabulated SES and WES composite scores with the Dimension Index (DI) of screening and categorised states and UTs into low, middle and high. We have represented these values over the Indian map. The interaction among these was graphically represented by a bubble plot. Further, we estimated the association of each indicator of SES and WES with screening coverage using multivariable logistic regression. The national coverage of oral cancer screening among women of reproductive age was 0.77% with Andhra Pradesh (7%) and Andaman and Nicobar Islands (10%) recording the highest screening coverage. Despite having high SES and WES scores, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, the screening (DI) was low. States with both high women empowerment status and high socioeconomic status showed high oral cancer screening uptake but the trend was not universal. Still, there were variations in the association among the states. The increased screening was significantly associated with higher access to improved sanitary facility (76%) and clean fuel for cooking (44%). Socio-economic status is an important precursor for better oral cancer screening coverage but women empowerment status did not always translate into good cancer screening uptake. Deep-rooted socio-cultural constructs and stigma associated with cancer and its implications may play a role. Implementation research for better uptake of oral cancer screening coverage is required.

Drug repurposing for cancer treatment is a valuable strategy to identify existing drugs with known safety profiles that could combat the neoplasm, by reducing costs. Oral squamous cell carcinoma, an ulcer-proliferative lesion on the mucosal epithelium, is the most common oral malignancy. About 10% of cancer patients within the Indian subcontinent suffer from OSCC, primarily due to chewing of betel plant derivatives. Concomitant administration of the chemotherapeutic agent (Cisplatin/Paclitaxel) is the treatment of choice. Analysis of the oral mycobiome of OSCC patients has projected the role of Candida albicans in potentiating OSCC. Hence, repurposing antifungal drugs emerges as a promising approach, as these drugs could target both the cancer cells and the infection. Cancer cells often have heightened energy requirements, and targeting mitochondrial proteins to disrupt mitochondrial division and induce dysfunction contributing to cell death, offers a method for treating OSCC. We identified 18 mitochondrial targets playing a crucial role in the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis. They were docked against 125 antifungal ligand molecules sourced from PUBCHEM. Ligand profiling was performed using Lipinski's rule of 5, SwissADME and ProTox. Also, molecular dynamics and MM-PBSA were performed to validate our results. Among all protein ligand interactions, we observed that targeting DRP1 with itraconazole yielded superior binding and stability. Overall, lower toxicity and thumping ADME properties solidified the choice of ligand. We hope this experimental approach will enable us to provide a basis for selecting a lead molecule for a possible novel nano-formulation and validate our finding through in-vitro cell line-based testing.

Oral diseases are often associated with bacterial and fungal pathogens such as Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus mutans, Enterococcus faecalis, and Candida albicans. This research explored a novel approach to addressing these pathogens by synthesizing zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) coated with rutin (RT), a plant-derived compound. The synthesized ZnO-RT NPs were comprehensively characterized using UV-Vis spectrophotometer, SEM, and EDAX techniques to confirm their structural composition. The antioxidant potential was assessed through free radical scavenging assays. Additionally, the antimicrobial activity of ZnO-RT NPs was evaluated using a zone of inhibition assay against oral pathogens. Molecular docking studies with the Autodock tool were performed to elucidate the interactions between RT and the receptors of oral pathogens. The findings demonstrated that ZnO-RT NPs exhibited robust free radical scavenging activity. Furthermore, they showed significant antimicrobial activity with a minimal inhibitory concentration of 40 μg/mL against oral pathogens. ZnO-RT NPs also displayed dose-dependent anticancer effects on human oral cancer cells at concentrations of 10, 20, 40, and 80 μg/mL. Mechanistic insights into the anticancer activity on KB cells revealed the upregulation of apoptotic genes. This study underscores the promising potential of ZnO-RT NPs for dental applications due to their strong antioxidant, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. These nanoparticles offer a hopeful prospect for addressing oral pathogen challenges and enhancing overall oral health.

The present study aimed to estimate the levels of phosphodiesterase (PDE), myeloperoxidase (MPO) and iron levels in patients with oral cancer.

50 patients reporting to the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology A.B. Shetty Memorial Institute of Dental Sciences, Deralakatte, Mangalore were recruited for the study after taking informed consent. The study group consists of 50 control groups with no complications and 50 oral cancer patients. A 5 ml venous Blood sample was taken, centrifuged and serum was collected for subsequent analysis. 50 normal control samples were also collected for comparison purposes. PDE, MPO and iron levels were estimated.

PDE levels were significantly elevated in the case group compared to the control. MPO and iron levels were significantly reduced in the case group compared to the control.

Immunological and biochemical assessment of oral precancer and cancer patients may help in earlier diagnosis and/or prognosis of these lesions. This may also serve in predicting the malignant potential of the pre-malignant lesions.

Advancements in immuno-oncology have dramatically transformed cancer treatment. Immunotherapy, targeting immune check point proteins, notably Programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) and its receptor Programmed Cell Death-1 (PD-1) which modulate the activity of immune response in Head and Neck squamous cell carcinomas (HNSCC), is an area of much research. The immunohistochemical expression of PD-L1 in cancer cells has been proposed as a predictive biomarker for selecting candidates for immunotherapy. Thus, the present study was undertaken to study the expression of PD-L1 in the primary tumour cells and evaluate its correlation with various clinicopathological parameters and prognosis in tobacco associated oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC).

Expression of PD-L1 was investigated in 75 surgically resected cases of OSCC by immunohistochemistry and its association with different clinicopathological features and prognosis was analysed.

PD-L1 protein was detected in 68% (51 cases) of cases. Tumour stage (p = 0.04), lymph node (LN) metastasis (p < 0.01) and moderate to marked tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) (p < 0.05), significantly correlated with the PD-L1 expression in the primary tumour. PD-L1 expression did not show a significant association with overall survival (OS) rate, however, patients with positive PD-L1 expression showed a poorer survival rate. Patients exhibiting nodal positivity had the worst prognosis (p < 0.005).

These data demonstrated a significant association of ≥ 5% PD-L1 expression in the primary tumour and the presence of LN metastasis, moderate to marked TILs and advancing tumour stage, thus, making it a plausible immunotherapeutic target molecule in OSCC patients.

Oral cancer is the most prevalent head and neck cancer. Although tumor markers have been investigated for detecting the progression and prognosis of oral cancer, no reliable marker has been identified. We investigated the expression of ATP binding cassette subfamily B member 5 (ABCB5) positive stem cells in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and in inflammatory gingival hyperplasia. We used tissue samples from normal subjects, patients with inflammatory gingival hyperplasia, and patients with OSCC. Samples were investigated using anti-ABCB5 monoclonal antibody immunohistochemistry to detect epithelial stem cells. Staining density, intensity, and immunoreactive scores of ABCB5 were analyzed for the three study groups. We found ABCB5 immunostaining in all three study groups, but different distributions of ABCB5 expression in different layers of the epithelium. We found no significant difference in staining intensity between inflammatory hyperplasia and normal mucosa, but we found significantly stronger expression in OSCC compared to normal and inflammatory hyperplasia individually. Elevated expression of ABCB5 in OSCC suggests an increased subpopulation of tumor cells with an undifferentiated stem cell phenotype, which facilitates cancer initiation and progression.

This pilot study aimed to compare the marginal adaptation of composite resin at the tooth-restoration interface, before and after radiation.

Fifteen extracted premolars were divided into 2 experimental groups (based on the timing of irradiation) and 1 control group of 5 teeth each. In Group I (control group), teeth were restored but not exposed to radiation at any stage, Group II: teeth were irradiated before cavity preparation and restoration, and Group III: after cavity preparation and restoration employing selective etch technique, teeth were exposed to radiation. The samples were then sectioned buccolingually to analyze the extent of the marginal gap under scanning electron microscopy and compositional alteration of dental hard tissues by X-ray diffraction study. The data collected were analyzed statistically.

The statistical software used was IBM SPSS version 23 New York, USA, and analysis was done using two-way ANOVA followed by Turkey's post hoc test, this difference in the mean marginal gap between all three groups was nonsignificant (P ≥ 0.05).

In the control group (Group I), a minimum gap (4.203 µm ± 0.533) was observed at the tooth-restoration interface, indicating the highest level of adaptation as compared to Group II (5.816 µm ± 0.762) and Group III (4.862 µm ± 1.018). This suggests that radiation adversely affected the bonding between composite materials and both enamel and dentin, attributed to the alterations induced by radiotherapy in the chemical, physical, and morphological properties of both tooth structure and composite resin.

Ionizing radiations adversely affect the bonding between enamel, dentin, and composite resin. Hence, restorative procedures should be performed before undergoing radiotherapy.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a prevalent malignancy with high morbidity and mortality rates. Timely diagnosis is critical for improving patient outcomes; however, diagnostic delays remain a concern. Understanding the factors that contribute to these delays is essential for developing effective interventions. This cross-sectional study aimed to investigate the demographic, socioeconomic, and clinical determinants of diagnostic delay in patients with OSCC.

This cross-sectional study included 226 patients with OSCC. Demographic data, including age, sex, marital status, education, and monthly household income, were collected. The time from symptom onset to definitive diagnosis was recorded. Stratified analysis and chi-square tests were conducted to assess the association between demographic and socioeconomic factors and diagnostic delays.

The mean diagnostic delay was 55.2 days, with 61.9% of the patients experiencing delays exceeding 40 days. Older age (>50 years), single marital status, lower educational level, and lower monthly income were associated with longer diagnostic delays (p < 0.05). Delays in biopsy sample collection also correlated with increased diagnostic delay (p < 0.05).

Demographic and socioeconomic factors significantly influence diagnostic delays in patients with OSCC. Targeted interventions to address these disparities are crucial for improving early detection and enhancing patient outcomes.

Background: Sulfasalazine, an xCT inhibitor, is being used as a repurposed antineoplastic drug to induce ferroptosis. Ferroptosis is a regulated necrotic cell death pathway that is dependent on iron reserves. Interestingly, cancer stem cells (CSCs) that are regarded as major drivers of resistance to conventional therapies accompanied with tumor relapse and recurrence have bulk amount of iron reserves in the form of ferritin. This suggests that inducing ferroptosis might disrupt stemness and drug-resistant mechanisms in cancer stem cells, thereby reducing the risk of drug-resistance, cancer recurrence, and relapse. Materials & Methods: In the present study, ALDH1A1 expressing oral (OCSCs) and breast (BCSCs) cancer stem cells were sorted and used to investigate the role of sulfasalazine to induce ferroptosis. To check the self-renewability of CSCs spheroid formation, assay was performed and the resultant CSCs were treated with sulfasalazine (SAS) and subjected to gene expression analysis RT-PCR and flow cytometry. FACS was performed to check stem cell marker expression, cell cycle arrest, and apoptosis. Results: Our results suggest that the cells showed a gradual increase in sphere formation till S3 in the case of OCSCs and S2 in the case of BCSCs, with a gradual decrease in sphere-forming efficiency from the respective generations. When treated with 0.6mM SAS, these cells induced ferroptosis by downregulating stem cell markers like ALDH1A1, SLC7A11, ferritin, and GPx-4 with a concomitant increase in transferrin and STEAP-3. Flow cytometry studies revealed that the cells have undergone mitochondrial dysfunction characterized by loss of membrane potential and the cell cycle progression was halted in the G2/M phase. Conclusion: In the present study, we demonstrate that SAS potentially induced ferroptosis accompanied with oxidative stress in both OCSCs as well as BCSCs by lowering GPx-4 activity, a key enzyme that scavenges the products produced as a result of oxidative stress.

The gingivobuccal sulcus, an anatomical term, refers to the area where the gums (gingiva) meet the inside of the cheek (buccal mucosa). It is the groove or fold that forms between the upper or lower gums and the inner surface of the cheek. This area allows movement between the gums and cheeks while talking, eating, or moving the mouth. The gingivobuccal sulcus is a critical anatomical area within the oral cavity that can be affected by various conditions, including oral cancer, leading to significant functional impairment. Surgical intervention in this region, often necessary for tumor resection or trauma repair, can result in challenges related to speech, mastication, and oral hygiene. In order to recover these capabilities and enhance the patient's quality of life, post-surgical rehabilitation is essential. The 43-year-old patient whose main complaints in this article include pain, discomfort, swelling, and trouble chewing had a segmental mandibulectomy during the procedure. Following surgery, physical therapy's primary goals were to relieve pain and restore vital functions. A multidisciplinary strategy is used in this procedure, combining the knowledge of physiotherapists, rehabilitation specialists, and surgeons. The goal was to increase the movement of the jaw, the tongue, and the neck and the swallowing process. The physiotherapy regimens facilitated the patient's recuperation.

Lip and oral cavity cancers are among the top 10 cancer causes and mortality globally. Some countries in the Indian subcontinent bear a disproportionately higher burden of lip and oral cavity cancers. Detailed analysis of lip and oral cavity cancers in the Indian subcontinent using all available data is important for effective policy planning. This paper aims to summarise the total burden of lip and oral cavity cancer and compare it across countries within the Indian subcontinent.

Data from the Global Cancer Observatory (GCO) and Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study were extracted to analyse cancer incidence, prevalence, mortality and cancer risk before reaching 74 years. Furthermore, summary estimates of years of life lost (YLL), years lived with disability (YLDs) and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to lip and oral cavity cancers were extracted from the GBD database. The data of individual countries within the Indian subcontinent were used for comparison.

The estimated number of deaths from lip and oral cavity cancers for 2019 was 90732 in the Indian subcontinent. The Indian subcontinent accounted for 45.3% of the deaths attributable to lip and oral cavity cancers. The incidence of lip and oral cavity cancers in the Indian subcontinent ranged from 3.18 per 100,000 population in Maldives to 12.76 per 100,000 population in Pakistan. The incidence rate of lip and oral cavity cancer in India was 7.54 per 100,000 population. However, due to the population size, India accounted for 104837 incident cases of lip and oral cavity cancers annually. The estimated number of prevalent and incident cases of lip and oral cavity cancers from the Indian subcontinent in 2019 was 0.46 million (30% of overall cases globally) and 0.15 million (39% of incident cases globally), respectively. The Indian subcontinent also accounted for 50% of the DALYs attributable to lip and oral cavity cancers worldwide.

The Indian subcontinent accounts for disproportionately higher cases and deaths due to lip and oral cavity cancers than other regions. It calls for urgent policy action to prevent the disease spread, early diagnosis and optimal management of lip and oral cavity cancers in the Indian subcontinent.

Oral tongue squamous cell cancer (OTSCC) is one of the most prevalent cancers worldwide and incidence increases with age. An alarming increase in the incidence of OTSCC in the younger age group. This study aimed to explore clinical and histopathological characteristics, survival, and other post-surgical outcomes in patients with OTSCC treated with glossectomy through the Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery at the Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs (MNGHA) within our study period. This is a retrospective study carried out through the collection and analysis of data from medical charts of 56 patients with oral tongue cancer who were treated by glossectomy. Treatment was initiated from January 2010 to December 2021. Patient characteristics, tumor characteristics, treatment modality, failure patterns, and survival rates were collected and analyzed. At diagnosis, 62.5% were tobacco smokers, 46.8% had poor dental hygiene, and 76.8% had ulcerative lesions. Furthermore, 33 cases presented with early-stage clinical disease and 23 cases with advanced stage. The median follow-up was 54 months, 28 patients (50%) were free for 3-5 years. Patients who were free on 5-year follow-up had a significantly higher percentage of negative lymphovascular and perineural invasion (p < 0.05). Additionally, 12 patients (21.4%) had developed recurrence. Mortality in all cases was 30.3, but mortality-related cancer was 19.6%. Locoregional failure remains the main cause of treatment failure in resectable OTSCC. Pathological T-stage, N-stage, LVI, PNI, ECE, and LNR are all considered strong prognostic factors.

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma (OTSCC) is the most aggressive subsite among oral cancers. The poor survival rate has been primarily attributed to high loco-regional recurrence. Two recent developments viz. incorporation depth of invasion (DOI) in American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) TNM 8th edition and elective neck dissection in clinically negative neck have potential to improve survival. We in our study have tried to look at overall survival and factors affecting patients of only OTSCC. 144 patients of OTSCC operated upfront between July 2017 and December 2023 were included in our study. Selective neck dissection was done in all patients with clinically negative neck. T staging was done using both AJCC TNM 7th and 8th edition. Primary objective of the study was to determine the overall survival and factors affecting it. The secondary objectives were to determine the disease-free survival and to look at the effect of forementioned new developments in patients in OTSCC. Mean overall survival and disease-free survival in our study cohort was 48.8 months and 48.3 months respectively in follow up period ranging from 2 months to 75 months. DOI > 10 millimetres and involved margins were factors significantly associated with survival on multivariate analysis. Lymph node metastasis was detected in 32(35.2%) patients out of 91 patients with clinically negative neck and 31(21.6%) of patients were upstaged from T1/T2 in AJCC TNM 7th to T3/T4 according to AJCC TNM 8th edition. The 5-years overall survival of our patients was about 54% with nearly half of our patients presenting in stage III and stage IV. There is need to create awareness in general population as the impact of the new changes will only be seen if patients present at an early stage.

Tobacco consumption, in its various forms, is a primary cause of significant health conditions such as oral premalignant disorders and oral cavity carcinoma. This study investigates the current prevalence of oral lesions in the region, utilizing modern techniques to analyze the impact of tobacco on oral health.

To evaluate the prevalence of oral lesions associated with tobacco and alcohol use, employing VELscope technology for assessment, and to evaluate the benefits of this recent technology in the assessment process.

Patients with a history of tobacco and alcohol use were included based on specific criteria. The study documented oral manifestations, chief complaints, VELscope findings, and histopathological diagnoses, and correlated these data. Statistical analysis was conducted using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 21, with descriptive statistics (percentages, mean, and standard deviation) and categorical data comparisons (Chi-square test). A significance level of P ≤ 0.05 was used.

The study found a notable shift from smoked to smokeless tobacco, predominantly affecting younger individuals. This highlights the need for targeted tobacco cessation efforts at the grassroots level. While VELscope can aid in diagnosis, it should not replace histopathological evaluation entirely.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma shows increased occurrence in those who consume tobacco products, alcohol, betel quid, and areca nut, and is also considered to occur due to genetic alteration. Though there are numerous advancements in treatment, survival remains a question with late diagnosis. Hence, there are continuous inventions of new drugs. The introduction of Ayurveda in the therapy has paved the way for the longevity of the patients affected. One such introduction is the use of Triphala. The current study aims to review the anti-oxidant, anti-proliferative, anti-microbial, and apoptotic action of Triphala and thus evaluate the anti-cancer action of Triphala. A literature search was done, in various electronic databases and the data were extracted according to the predefined criteria. Original studies of 19 reports were included in the analysis. Nineteen (six studies with Triphala combination) In vitro/In vivo studies were included in this systematic review. The included study showed that Triphala effectively modulates the immune system. The effects included were anti-oxidative, immune modulation, anti-proliferative, tumor suppression, apoptotic effect, reversal of precancerous lesion, and anti-microbial action. The analyses also showed that there is no side effect of Triphala up to the recommended dosage. Triphala, is a nourishing supplement that is well-known in Ayurveda for its capacity to restore healthy tissues and promote aging gracefully through its properties such as anti-oxidant, ant-proliferative, anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic apoptotic, and immune-modulatory properties. Hence, Triphala can be a promising drug in the prevention and treatment of oral cancer.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common type of head and neck cancers. OSCC constitutes 90% of the head and neck malignancies. The delayed identification of oral cancer is the primary cause of ineffective medical treatment. To address this issue, low-cost, reliable point-of-care devices that can be utilized for large-scale screening, even in low-resource settings, including rural areas and primary healthcare centers, are of great interest. Herein, a comprehensive analysis of numerous salivary biomarkers that exhibit significant variations in concentration between individuals with oral cancer and those without is given. Furthermore, the article explores several point-of-care devices that exhibit potential in the realm of oral cancer detection. The biomarkers are discussed with a focus on their structural characteristics and role in oral cancer progression. The devices based on colorimetry and microfluidics are discussed in detail, considering their compliance with the 'REASSURED' criteria given by the World Health Organization (WHO) and suitability for mass screening in low-resource settings. Finally, the discourse revolves around the fundamental aspects pertaining to the advancement of multiplex, cost-effective point-of-care devices designed for widespread screening purposes.

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC) accounts for more than 90% of all kinds of oral neoplasms that develop in the oral cavity. It is a type of malignancy that shows high morbidity and recurrence rate, but data on the disease's target genes and biomarkers is still insufficient. In this study, in silico studies have been performed to find out the novel target genes and their potential therapeutic inhibitors for the effective and efficient treatment of OSCC. The DESeq2 package of RStudio was used in the current investigation to screen and identify differentially expressed genes for OSCC. As a result of gene expression analysis, the top 10 novel genes were identified using the Cytohubba plugin of Cytoscape, and among them, the ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (UBE2D1) was found to be upregulated and playing a significant role in the progression of human oral cancers. Following this, naturally occurring compounds were virtually evaluated and simulated against the discovered novel target as prospective drugs utilizing the Maestro, Schrodinger, and Gromacs software. In a simulated screening of naturally occurring potential inhibitors against the novel target UBE2D1, Epigallocatechin 3-gallate, Quercetin, Luteoline, Curcumin, and Baicalein were identified as potent inhibitors. Novel identified gene UBE2D1 has a significant role in the proliferation of human cancers through suppression of 'guardian of genome' p53 via ubiquitination dependent pathway. Therefore, the treatment of OSCC may benefit significantly from targeting this gene and its discovered naturally occurring inhibitors.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Background Microtubule-associated protein light chains (LC) 3A and 3B are the structural proteins of the autophagosomal membrane widely used as endogenous autophagy markers. LC3A and LC3B autophagosomes reportedly have a distinct subcellular localization yet their role in the transition from premalignant to malignant phase remains unclear. This exploratory study aimed to investigate the expression of autophagy-related proteins LC3A and LC3B in oral premalignant lesions (OPL) and oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cases. Methodology A cross-sectional study was conducted on 100 OPL and 39 OSCC samples. OPL samples comprised both dysplastic and non-dysplastic lesions. The expression of LC3A and LC3B markers was evaluated in the study samples using immunohistochemistry and associated with dysplasia in OPL and with invasive OSCC versus OPL. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. Results There was a higher ratio of LC3A positivity in non-dysplastic OPL (31/38) compared to dysplastic premalignant lesions (36/62, p=0.017). There was a higher ratio of LC3B positivity in dysplastic OPL (16/62) compared to non-dysplastic lesions (4/38) with a trend towards statistical significance (p=0.075). There was no statistical difference in the ratio of LC3A positivity between OSCC (23/39) and premalignant (67/100) lesions, while the ratio of LC3B marker positivity was higher in OSCC cases (18/39) relative to premalignant lesions (20/100, p=0.003). Conclusion Autophagy-related proteins LC3A and LC3B may have different roles to play in a disease context manner. LC3A is likely to be negatively associated with dysplasia in OPL while LC3B expression is positively associated with carcinogenesis of OSCC, possibly including dysplasia.

The primary goal of this study was to assess the growth, most influential articles, countries, journals, authors, and papers published in the field of global oral cancer. Research articles on oral cancer, published between 1989 and 2022, were identified through the Web of Science database to achieve this.

A comprehensive dataset comprising 7,178 documents was meticulously extracted from the Web of Science, forming the basis for scientometric analysis. A refined subset of 4,901 documents was judiciously selected following a rigorous screening process for meticulous, in-depth analysis.

The field has witnessed a remarkable publication surge, with the United States taking the lead in productivity. The journal Oral Oncology has become the foremost publication, renowned for its prolific output and widespread citation. This trend highlights the growing importance and interest in this domain, with researchers and experts worldwide contributing to the expanding body of knowledge. The United States' dominance in productivity suggests its strong commitment to advancing research in the field, while Oral Oncology's recognition underscores its influential role in disseminating cutting-edge findings and fostering scientific progress.

This scientometric analysis is a valuable resource for researchers, funding agencies, industry, and institutions, offering guidance and insights.

Not Applicable.

Background Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a highly prevalent cancer worldwide. Microbial infections, poor oral hygiene, and chronic viral infections such as human papillomavirus (HPV) contribute to its incidence. Capsaicin, known for its presence in chili peppers, has demonstrated potential antiproliferative effects in cancer cells. It operates by inducing programmed cell death, regulating the expression of transcription factors, halting cell cycle progression, and influencing growth signal transduction pathways. These findings suggest capsaicin's promising role as a candidate for further exploration in combating oral cancer. Aim This study intends to identify and evaluate the anticancer properties of capsaicin on oral cancer cells through in vitro investigations. Methodology Using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) technique, the cell viability of oral cancer cells treated with capsaicin was evaluated. Capsaicin was applied to the KB1 cells in a range of concentrations (25-150 µg/mL) over 24 hours. The morphological alterations of the cells were assessed using a phase contrast microscope. Nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα) were subjected to quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) gene expression analysis. To investigate nuclear morphological changes, oral cancer cells were stained with acridine orange/ethidium bromide (AO/EtBr). The apoptotic nuclei were visualized using a fluorescent microscope. A scratch wound healing test was performed to check for capsaicin's anti-migratory potential. Result In our investigation of oral cancer cells treated with capsaicin, there was a significant drop in cell viability between the control and treatment groups (p < 0.05). The inhibitory concentration (IC50) was found to be 74.4 μM/mL in oral cancer cells. Following treatment, fewer cells were present, and those that were present shriveled and exhibited cytoplasmic membrane blebbing. Under AO/EtBr staining, treated cells exhibited chromatin condensation and nuclear disintegration. Furthermore, the migration of capsaicin-treated cells was significantly lower than that of control cells. The results of gene expression analysis demonstrated a considerable downregulation of TNFα and NFκB following capsaicin administration. Conclusion The study's findings suggest that capsaicin may have anti-tumor properties in oral cancer cells. More research is desperately needed to fully understand the mechanism underlying capsaicin's anticancer potential and therapeutic applicability.