Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Oropharyngeal cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the oropharynx. The oropharynx is the middle part of the throat, behind the mouth. If you’re male and between the ages of 50 to 69 years old — which according to the study, is the age group with the highest prevalence of oral HPV — here’s what you need to know about oropharyngeal cancer:

Eighteen People a day are diagnosed with oral cancer. ("Facts and Figures"). Roughly 48,250 Americans will be diagnosed this year. As well as, it will cause approximately 9,575 deaths in the next year ("Oral Cancer Facts"). This is a big deal. Oral cancer is a deadly disease. ("Risk Factors") The three main factors that contribute to oral cancer are genetics, environmental factors/lifestyle choices, and chance.

Oral cancer is a devastating disease. Over eight thousand American lives are taken by oral cancer and only a fourth of these patients do not excessively drink alcohol or smoke tobacco, which are the two main causes of oral cancer (The Oral Cancer Foundation). Survival rates for oral cancer could be much higher if the population would take precautionary measures to reduce their chances of being diagnosed with oral cancer. When the use of alcohol and tobacco are decreased, the chances of acquiring oral cancer are also decreased. By visiting the dentist at least once every year, new lesions could be found. Unfortunately, only seven percent of the population, who visits the dentist regularly, receives a thorough oral cancer exam(The Oral

Squamous Cell Carcinoma, also referred to as SCC, is a growth of abnormal cells that forms in squamous cells. It is the second most common type of skin cancer and it is uncontrollable. Since squamous cells make up most of the outer and upper skin layer, the epidermis, SCC is very dangerous and one of the easier skin cancers to develop (Skin Cancer Foundation). It is defined as being a non-melanoma or keratinocytic type of skin cancer, meaning it does not form any melanoma -- dark-pigmented tumors that come from a skin cell. Non-melanoma skin cancer almost always develops from the outer skin surface. While it is typically developed from too much sun in long periods of time, SCC has another dangerous enemy: smoke.

Oral malignant melanoma of the mouth is an extremely rare tumor arising from the uncontrolled growth of melanocytes found in basal layer of oral mucous membrane. Melanocytes are neural crest derived cells that migrate to the skin, mucous membrane and several other sites. It was first described by weber in 1859. Its incidence is estimated to vary widely between 0.2% and 8% of all melanomas and 1.3% of all cancers. Approximately 80% of oral melanomas arise in mucosa of upper jaws in elderly patients with majority occurring on keratinizing mucosa of the palate and alveolar gingivae. Other sites include buccal mucosa, mandibular gingivae, tongue and floor of the

Oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) is a commonly used term to describe the histopathological features in premalignant lesions and conditions of oral mucosa (Lumerman et al., 1995). OED is considered as a histological hallmark of premalignancy and is a predictor for malignant transformation potential. Dysplasia in stratified squamous epithelium of the oral mucosa exhibits hyperchromatism (darkly stained nucleus due to enlargement of nucleus), altered nucleus: cytoplasm ratio (1:1), mitotic figures due to abnormal mitosis, loss of cell adhesion and polarization, individual cell keratinization and pleomorphism (abnormal shape). These morphological changes are preceded by

III. The rise in the number of cases of oral cancer are being diagnosed in young adults and can are directly related to lifestyle choices.

2. Literatures Review 2.1. Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) Oral cancer (OC) includes a group of neoplasms affecting any region of the oral cavity, pharyngeal regions and salivary glands. However, this term tends to be used interchangeably with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) (Choi and Myers, 2008). Oral SCC is the most common malignant neoplasm of the oral cavity derived from stratified squamous epithelium including lips, buccal mucosa, lower and upper alveolar ridges, retromolar gingiva, floor of the mouth, hard palate, and the anterior two-thirds of the tongue (Lozano et al., 2013). By gross morphologic examination, the exophytic, ulcerative, or verrucous types are seen (Mehrotra and Yadav 2006). Regardless of the easy access of oral cavity for clinical examination, OSCC is usually diagnosed in advanced stages.

Most people think that just because oral cancer is not mentioned as often as other cancers, then it’s not something to be worried about.

It important to have good dental health, brushing and flossing daily leads to a happy, healthy mouth. However, many people do not realize unhealthy teeth covered in plaque can possibly contribute to issues that affect the rest of the body such as cancer. There is a link between the health of a person’s mouth and the condition of their body.

Cancer of the floor of the mouth occurs when cells under your tongue become abnormal and start to grow out of control. This usually starts in very thin, flat cells that line the surface of your mouth (squamous cells). Cancer cells can spread and form a mass of cells called a tumor. The cancer may spread deeper into the floor of the mouth, or it may spread to other areas of the body (metastasize).

Globally, poor oral health among older people has particularly been seen in a high level of tooth loss, dental caries experience, and high prevalence rates of periodontal disease, xerostomia, and oral precancer/cancer. The increase of the elderly population

However, more recent genetic studies suggested that multiple cancers can be clonally related and derived from expansion of an original clone. These results gave rise to a modification of cancerization field theory, the patch field carcinoma model, in which a stem cell located in the oral epithelium acquires a genetic alteration and generates daughter cells, all of which share the genetic alteration. This patch of cells expands to a size of several centimeters to the surrounding oral mucosa and macroscopically is often undetectable. In some instances it may appear with distinct morphological characteristics, like leukoplakia or

Salivary gland tumors are a morphologically diverse group of neoplasms, which may present considerable diagnostic and management challenges for the pathologist and surgeon. Salivary gland tumors are rare with an overall incidence in the western world of about 2.5 to 3.0 per 100,000 per year. About 80% of all lesions are benign; hence salivary malignancies are particularly rare, comprising less than 0.5% of all malignancies and about 5% of cancers in the head and neck. (1)

The purpose of the study and final conclusion do not match. In the study purpose it was mentioned that, oral cavity lesions could be indicative of palpable disease and/or recurrence of myeloma however in the conclusion it was stated that, “oral cavity lesions can be the first sign of recurrence or progression of multiple myeloma”.1