Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 January 2023) | Viewed by 17912

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. Department of Oral Pathology, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
2. Division of Oral Pathology & Maxillofacial Radiology, Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
3. Oral & Maxillofacial Imaging Center, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
Interests: oral cancer; oral premalignant disorders; oral diagnosis

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Guest Editor
School of Dentistry, College of Dental Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung 80708, Taiwan
Interests: molecular oncology; DNA repair; obesity-related cytokines; cancer metabolism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oral cancer is a prevalent malignant tumor worldwide, and the GLOBOCAN database and the World Health Organization indicate that its incidence will continue to increase. Early diagnosis can effectively prevent the malignant transformation of oral precancerous lesions into oral cancer, and effective diagnostic tools or biomarkers that can predict the prognosis of oral cancer need to be further proposed. This Special Issue of Diagnostics aims to explore innovative discoveries in the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer and provide helpful solutions to this need. Research using basic science and clinical and population-based approaches is encouraged. Our goal is to demonstrate scientific progress in this field and pave the way for personalized precision medicine for human health.

Prof. Dr. Yuk-Kwan Chen
Dr. Yen-Yun Wang
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • oral cancer
  • biomarkers
  • tumor microenvironment
  • cancer behavior
  • prognosis

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Published Papers (8 papers)

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19 pages, 5981 KiB  
Article
Characteristics of Clinically Classified Oral Lichen Planus in Optical Coherence Tomography: A Descriptive Case-Series Study
by Yuliia Gruda, Marius Albrecht, Michaela Buckova, Dominik Haim, Guenter Lauer, Edmund Koch, Korinna Joehrens, Christian Schnabel, Jonas Golde, Jiawen Li, Robert A. McLaughlin and Julia Walther
Diagnostics 2023, 13(16), 2642; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13162642 - 10 Aug 2023
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1963
Abstract
Malignant transformation of oral lichen planus (OLP) into oral squamous cell carcinoma is considered as one of the most serious complications of OLP. For the early detection of oral cancer in OLP follow-up, accurate localization of the OLP center is still difficult but [...] Read more.
Malignant transformation of oral lichen planus (OLP) into oral squamous cell carcinoma is considered as one of the most serious complications of OLP. For the early detection of oral cancer in OLP follow-up, accurate localization of the OLP center is still difficult but often required for confirmatory biopsy with histopathological examination. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) offers the potential for more reliable biopsy sampling in the oral cavity as it is capable of non-invasively imaging the degenerated oral layer structure. In this case-series study with 15 patients, features of clinically classified forms of OLP in OCT cross-sections were registered and correlated with available histologic sections. Besides patients with reticular, atrophic, erosive and plaque-like OLP, two patients with leukoplakia were included for differentiation. The results show that OCT yields information about the epithelial surface, thickness and reflectivity, as well as the identifiability of the basement membrane and the vessel network, which could be used to complement the visual clinical appearance of OLP variants and allow a more accurate localization of the OLP center. This forms the basis for further studies on OCT-assisted non-invasive clinical classification of OLP, with the aim of enabling decision support for biopsy sampling in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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14 pages, 3110 KiB  
Article
Voltage-Dependent Anion Channel 1 Expression in Oral Malignant and Premalignant Lesions
by Irit Allon, Jacob Pettesh, Alejandro Livoff, Mark Schlapobersky, Oded Nahlieli and Eli Michaeli
Diagnostics 2023, 13(7), 1225; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13071225 - 24 Mar 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1263
Abstract
Background: The voltage-dependent anion channel 1 protein (VDAC1) plays a role in cellular metabolism and survival. It was found to be down or upregulated (overexpressed) in different malignancies but it was never studied in application to oral lesions. The purpose of this study [...] Read more.
Background: The voltage-dependent anion channel 1 protein (VDAC1) plays a role in cellular metabolism and survival. It was found to be down or upregulated (overexpressed) in different malignancies but it was never studied in application to oral lesions. The purpose of this study was to retrospectively evaluate the expression of VDAC1 in biopsies of oral premalignant, malignant, and malignancy-neutral lesions and to examine the possible correlations to their clinicopathological parameters. Materials and methods: 103 biopsies including 49 oral squamous cell carcinoma, 33 epithelial dysplasia, and 21 fibrous hyperplasia samples were immunohistochemically stained with anti-VDAC1 antibodies for semi-quantitative evaluation. The antibody detection was performed with 3,3′-diaminobenzidine (DAB). The clinicopathological information was examined for possible correlations with VDAC1. Results: VDAC1 expression was lower in oral squamous cell carcinoma 0.63 ± 0.40 and in oral epithelial dysplasia 0.61 ± 0.36 biopsies compared to fibrous hyperplasia biopsies 1.45 ± 0.28 (p < 0.01 for both; Kruskal–Wallis test). Conclusion: Oral squamous cell carcinoma and epithelial dysplasia tissues demonstrated decreased VDAC1 protein expression if compared to fibrous hyperplasia samples, but were not different from each other, suggesting that the involvement of VDAC1 in oral carcinogenesis is an early stage event, regulating cells to live or die. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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14 pages, 1327 KiB  
Article
Association of Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Bloodstream Infections with Survival after Curative-Intent Treatment in Elderly Patients with Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Chun-Hou Huang, Yu-Fu Chou, Tsung-Cheng Hsieh and Peir-Rong Chen
Diagnostics 2023, 13(3), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13030493 - 29 Jan 2023
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Abstract
Patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing curative-intent treatment may become immunocompromised. This study aimed to investigate the association of pretreatment sarcopenia, nutritional status, comorbidities, and blood-based inflammation prognostic biomarkers in bloodstream infection (BSI) with survival status in elderly patients with [...] Read more.
Patients with oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) undergoing curative-intent treatment may become immunocompromised. This study aimed to investigate the association of pretreatment sarcopenia, nutritional status, comorbidities, and blood-based inflammation prognostic biomarkers in bloodstream infection (BSI) with survival status in elderly patients with OSCC. Retrospective data were collected from 235 patients who were newly diagnosed with OSCC, were aged ≥ 65 years, had undergone curative-intent treatment, and were classified into either the BSI group or the no-BSI group within 6 months after surgery and/or adjuvant therapy initiation. Of the 235 elderly patients, 27 presented with BSI episodes. A preoperative high neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) was a significant independent risk factor for BSI. BSI was not significantly associated with survival status. Ever betel nut chewing, hypoalbuminemia, and advanced tumor stage were associated with shorter overall survival. Moreover, a high NLR was an independent risk factor associated with disease-free survival. A high NLR was associated with BSI and resistance to curative-intent treatment. Pretreatment of NLR could act as an independent prognostic indicator and help inform treatment strategies for older patients with OSCC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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12 pages, 2206 KiB  
Article
Overexpression of Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-1α and Its Relation with Aggressiveness and Grade of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Sumera Sumera, Asif Ali, Yasar M. Yousafzai, Zubair Durrani, Mohammed Alorini, Benish Aleem and Rabia Zahir
Diagnostics 2023, 13(3), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13030451 - 26 Jan 2023
Cited by 8 | Viewed by 2120
Abstract
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) has been shown to be involved in cancer metastasis in several cancer types. There is however conflicting evidence of HIF-1α expression with oral cancer prognosis. Therefore, this study set out to investigate HIF-1α overexpression and its relationship with the aggressiveness [...] Read more.
Hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) has been shown to be involved in cancer metastasis in several cancer types. There is however conflicting evidence of HIF-1α expression with oral cancer prognosis. Therefore, this study set out to investigate HIF-1α overexpression and its relationship with the aggressiveness and grade of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to explore the diagnostic potential of HIF-1α overexpression in OSCC in a cohort of Pakistani patients. Immunostaining of HIF-1α was performed on 54 OSCC and 14 normal oral mucosa (NOM) tissue samples and various cut-offs were used to evaluate its immunohistochemical expression. HIF-1α expression in OSCC samples was significantly higher than in controls, with minimal immunoreactivity in NOM. HIF-1α overexpression was significantly associated with increased tumor size (p = 0.046). However, no association was found between HIF-1α overexpression and increasing Broder’s histological grade or TNM stage. The cut-off >10% cells with moderate to marked intensity carried a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 100% to distinguish between tumor and control. ROC curve analysis of HIF-1α weighted histoscores showedHIF-1α overexpression as a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic test (p < 0.001, AUC = 0.833). HIF-1α overexpression is a tumor-specific finding associated with increased tumor size and carries a potential diagnostic role. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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14 pages, 1186 KiB  
Article
Association of High Immunohistochemical Expression of Minichromosome Maintenance 3 with Human Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma—A Preliminary Study
by Rabia Zahir, Zafar Ali Khan, Benish Aleem, Shahzad Ahmad, Asif Ali, Rakhi Issrani, Mohammed Katib Alruwaili, Shazia Iqbal, Shmoukh Fahad Alghumaiz, Sarah Hatab Alanazi, Muhammad Farooq Umer, Ihsan Ullah, Sumera and Kiran Kumar Ganji
Diagnostics 2023, 13(1), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics13010061 - 26 Dec 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2203
Abstract
Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may arise from premalignant oral lesions (PMOL) in most cases. Minichromosome maintenance 3 (MCM3) is a proliferative marker that has been investigated as a potential diagnostic biomarker in the diagnosis of oral cancer. Objectives: To evaluate the [...] Read more.
Background: Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) may arise from premalignant oral lesions (PMOL) in most cases. Minichromosome maintenance 3 (MCM3) is a proliferative marker that has been investigated as a potential diagnostic biomarker in the diagnosis of oral cancer. Objectives: To evaluate the association of MCM3 expression, its clinicopathologic parameters and to identify snuff (also called naswar) as a potential risk factor for changes in MCM3 expression in PMOL and OSCC. Methodology: Immunohistochemistry (IHC) of MCM3 was performed on 32 PMOL, 32 OSCC and 16 normal controls after optimization of IHC methodology. Histoscore (0–300) was used as a scoring system and seven different cut-offs were identified for analyses. Data were analyzed using various statistical tests. Results: Among the seven cutoffs, 40% strong positive cells were found to be a better cut-off as they were associated with many pathological variables (Broder’s grade, Aneroth’s grade, and mitotic activity). The differential MCM3 expression in oral lesions (PMOL and OSCC) was statistically significant (p = 0.03). Moreover, MCM3 expression is raised with increased duration and frequency of snuff use. Conclusion: High MCM3 expression is associated with disease progression and is a potential indicator of malignant transformations from PMOL to OSCC. Moreover, the use of snuff is associated with MCM3 over-expression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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11 pages, 915 KiB  
Article
Cellular Concentration of Survivin and Caspase 3 in Habitual Tobacco Chewers with and without Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in South Indian Rural Population—A Case Control Study
by Susanna Theophilus Yesupatham, C. D. Dayanand and S. M. Azeem Mohiyuddin
Diagnostics 2022, 12(9), 2249; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12092249 - 18 Sep 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1890
Abstract
Background: There is paucity of data on tissue levels of Survivin and Caspase 3 in south Indian tobacco chewers with oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Oral cancer is a rapidly growing, highly prevalent head and neck malignancy; it involves a mucosal epithelium of [...] Read more.
Background: There is paucity of data on tissue levels of Survivin and Caspase 3 in south Indian tobacco chewers with oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Oral cancer is a rapidly growing, highly prevalent head and neck malignancy; it involves a mucosal epithelium of a buccal cavity exposed to tobacco and other carcinogens. The basis of the survival of a tumor cell or transformed normal cell into a neoplastic cell is by the suppression of apoptosis regulation. Recently, researchers have focused on Survivin, an inhibitor of apoptosis family of proteins (IAP), involved in apoptosis regulation in cancer cells targeting the executioner Caspase 3. The current study aims to quantify the cellular levels of Survivin and Caspase 3 in tobacco chewers with OSCC and in habitual tobacco chewers without OSCC, in comparison to controls. Methods: A single centric case control study included 186 study subjects, categorized into: Group I (n = 63), habitual tobacco chewers with OSCC; Group 2 (n = 63), habitual tobacco chewers without OSCC; and Group 3 (n = 63), the controls. Resected tumor tissue from Group 1 and buccal cell samples from Groups 2 and 3 were collected into phosphate buffer saline (PBS) and assayed for Survivin and Caspase 3 levels by the ELISA sandwich method. Results: The mean ± SD of the Survivin protein in Group 1 was (1670.9 ± 796.21 pg/mL); in Group 2, it was (1096.02 ± 346.17 pg/mL); and in Group 3, it was (397.5 ± 96.1 pg/mL) with a significance of p < 0.001. Similarly, the level of Caspase 3 in Group 1 was (7.48 ± 2.67 ng/mL); in Group 2, it was (8.85 ± 2.41 ng/mL); and in Group 3, it was (2.27 ± 2.24 ng/mL) with a significance of p < 0.001. Conclusion: The progressive transformation of buccal cells to neoplastic cells is evident; in the case of OSCC, this indicates that the over-expression of Survivin compared to Caspase 3 confirms the suppression and dysregulation of apoptosis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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12 pages, 3252 KiB  
Article
Identification of EGFR as a Biomarker in Saliva and Buccal Cells from Oral Submucous Fibrosis Patients—A Baseline Study
by Abirami Moorthy, Divyambika Catakapatri Venugopal, Vidyarani Shyamsundar, Yasasve Madhavan, Soundharya Ravindran, Mehanathan Kuppuloganathan, Arvind Krishnamurthy, Sathasivasubramanian Sankarapandian, Vani Ganapathy and Vijayalakshmi Ramshankar
Diagnostics 2022, 12(8), 1935; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12081935 - 11 Aug 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2336
Abstract
Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic debilitating disease more frequently encountered in the South-East Asian population. This disease represents a public health priority as it is grouped within oral potentially malignant disorders, with malignant transformation rates of around 7–19%. Hence, early identification [...] Read more.
Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF) is a chronic debilitating disease more frequently encountered in the South-East Asian population. This disease represents a public health priority as it is grouped within oral potentially malignant disorders, with malignant transformation rates of around 7–19%. Hence, early identification of high-risk OSMF patients is of the utmost importance to prevent malignant transformation. Among various biomarkers, EGFR overexpression has an unfavorable clinical outcome, poor prognosis, and low survival rates in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC). The current study aimed to evaluate the expression of EGFR in saliva and exfoliated buccal cells of OSMF. Immunoexpression of EGFR was observed in healthy controls (n = 11), OSCC (n = 106), and OPMD with dysplasia (n = 56), which showed significant expression with increasing grades of dysplasia and OSCC. EGFR expression was evaluated in saliva and exfoliated buccal cells of healthy controls (n = 15), OSMF (n = 24), and OSCC (n = 10) patients using ELISA, which revealed significant expression in OSMF and OSCC. Validation studies were also performed using real-time PCR (RT-PCR) to compare gene expression in healthy controls (n = 9), OSMF (n = 9), and OSCC (n = 25), which showed significant 18-fold upregulation in OSCC and three-fold upregulation in OSMF when compared to healthy controls. Hence, saliva and exfoliated buccal cells could be considered as potential non-invasive diagnostic samples for the evaluation of high-risk patients of OSMF using EGFR as a biomarker. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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9 pages, 2359 KiB  
Case Report
Conventional Ameloblastoma. A Case Report with Microarray and Bioinformatic Analysis
by Emiliano Jurado-Castañeda, Carla Monserrat Ramírez-Martínez, Alejandro Alonso-Moctezuma, Jessica Tamara Páramo-Sánchez, Diana Ivette Rivera-Reza, Osmar Alejandro Chanes-Cuevas, César Luis Ortiz-Solís, Mario Alberto Téliz-Meneses, Oscar Rohel Hernández-Ortega, Marco Xavier Vizzuete-Bolaños, Patricio Olmedo-Bastidas and Luis Fernando Jacinto-Alemán
Diagnostics 2022, 12(12), 3190; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics12123190 - 16 Dec 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 3682
Abstract
Ameloblastoma is a rare benign epithelial odontogenic neoplasm, but with great clinical implications, as despite its benignity and slow growth, most cases are locally aggressive with a significant recurrence rate. Histological, cellular, or molecular analyses of its pathogenesis have confirmed the complexity of [...] Read more.
Ameloblastoma is a rare benign epithelial odontogenic neoplasm, but with great clinical implications, as despite its benignity and slow growth, most cases are locally aggressive with a significant recurrence rate. Histological, cellular, or molecular analyses of its pathogenesis have confirmed the complexity of this neoplasm. We present the case of a 20-year-old patient with a suggestive clinical and radiographic diagnosis of ameloblastoma. An incisional biopsy was obtained confirming the diagnosis of conventional ameloblastoma. Left hemimandibulectomy and plate reconstruction were performed. Histopathological analysis of the surgical specimen confirmed the conventional ameloblastoma with a plexiform pattern and significant areas of cystic degeneration and amyloid-like-like deposits. Additionally, a microarray was carried out with bioinformatic analysis for the enrichment, protein interaction, and determination of eight hub genes (CRP, BCHE, APP, AKT1, AGT, ACTC1, ADAM10, and APOA2) related to their pathogenesis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Diagnosis and Treatment of Oral Cancer)
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