The mortality rate associated with oral cancer is estimated at approximately 12,300 deaths per year, and the survival rate is only 40% to 50% for diagnosed patients and is closely related to the duration of time between disease perception and its diagnosis and treatment. Socioeconomic risk factors are determinants of the incidence and mortality related to oral cancer. We conducted a retrospective, cross-sectional study of 573 records of patients with oral cancer at Haroldo Juaçaba Hospital – Cancer Institute of Ceará from 2000 to 2009 to evaluate the influence of socioeconomic factors on survival and epidemiological behavior of this neoplasia in a Brazilian population. In this study, patients with oral cancer were males greater than 60 years of age, presented squamous cell carcinoma in the floor of mouth and were characterized by low education levels. A total of 573 lesions were found in oral cavities. Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that the histological type, tumor stage, and low degree of education significantly influenced survival. A lower patient survival rate was correlated with a more advanced stage of disease and a worse prognosis. Squamous cell carcinoma is associated with a higher mortality when compared with other histological types of malign neoplasia.

Pain after third molar extraction has been considered the most suitable pharmaceutical model to evaluate acute pain. This study aimed to evaluate the pre-emptive analgesic/anti-inflammatory efficacy of etoricoxib 120 mg following mandibular third molar surgery. A split-mouth, randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled study was conducted with patients undergoing the surgical removal of mandibular third molars. All volunteers were allocated randomly to receive either etoricoxib 120 mg or placebo 1h preoperatively, and inflammatory events were evaluated. An estimated sample of 18 surgical units per group was required based on a pilot study (95% confidence level and 80% statistical power). Rescue medication was analyzed by Kaplan-Meier method through log-rank Mantel-Cox test and Pearson linear correlation (P<0.05). Pre-emptive etoricoxib reduced postoperative pain scores significantly in comparison to placebo (P<0.001), with a pain score peak at 6h after surgery (P<0.001). The mean rescue medication consumption was lower in the etoricoxib group compared to the placebo group over the study period (P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference between groups related to swelling and trismus. The pre-emptive administration of etoricoxib 120 mg significantly reduced the postoperative pain intensity and the need for rescue medication, but did not reduce swelling or trismus.

This study aimed to evaluate whether pre-emptive analgesia modifies the tissue expression of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) and interleukin 1 beta (IL-1β), and whether there is an association with postoperative surgical outcomes. A triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study of patients undergoing mandibular third molar removal was performed. Volunteers were allocated randomly to receive etoricoxib 120 mg, ibuprofen 400 mg, or placebo 1h before surgery. Twenty-four surgical sites per group were required (95% confidence level and 80% statistical power). Pain scores differed significantly between groups (P<0.001). Etoricoxib and ibuprofen reduced pain scores compared to placebo (P<0.05). Pain scores peaked at 4h postoperative in the experimental groups, but at 2h postoperative in the placebo group (P<0.05). A significant reduction in TNF-α concentration from time 0' to time 30' was seen for ibuprofen (P=0.001) and etoricoxib (P=0.016). The ibuprofen group showed a significant reduction in IL-1β levels from time 0' to time 30' (P=0.038). In conclusion, TNF-α and IL-1β levels and the inflammatory events in third molar surgery were inversely associated with the degree of cyclooxygenase 2 selectivity of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs used pre-emptively. Patients given pre-emptive analgesia showed significant reductions in the clinical parameters pain, trismus, and oedema when compared to the placebo group.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of preemptive analgesia with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in third-molar surgery. A PubMed literature search was conducted for articles restricted to the English language using the following terms (DeCS/MeSH) or combinations: analgesia, third molar, and preemptive. From a total of 704 articles, 6 (n=420 subjects) were selected. All studies presented a low risk of bias (Cochrane criteria) but exhibited high heterogeneity of methods. Two studies were excluded from the meta-analysis because they did not have adequate numeric values (dichotomous data) for the calculations. Preemptive analgesia showed no significant benefit (n=298, P=.2227, odds ratio: 2.30, 0.60-8.73) in reducing postoperative pain after removal of lower impacted third molars. However, there was a probable direct relationship between the effectiveness of NSAIDs in preemptive analgesia for removal of third molars and its selectivity for the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Preemptive analgesia did not have a significant effect in reducing postoperative pain after removal of lower impacted third molars. More homogeneous and well-delineated clinical studies are necessary to determine a possible association between NSAIDs' selectivity for COX-2 and treatment effectiveness.

Oral cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality, and has a poor prognosis. This has encouraged additional studies into factors that may affect the development of this disease. The biological behavior of malignant neoplasms is complex. Studies have investigated the energy metabolism of tumor cells, in an endeavor to elucidate the tumor biology. The identification of molecular signatures and mechanisms, in order to understand tumor progression, may facilitate the identification of novel predictive and prognostic markers. Pathways that influence tumor progression, such as those involving hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) and glucose transporter (GLUT) proteins, have been the targets of recent studies.

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The mandibular third molars in young adults showed a direct relationship with age and a statistical propensity for the development of these cystic alterations, notably paradental cysts.

The three local hemostatic protocols were similarly effective in controlling postoperative bleeding in patients undergoing anticoagulant therapy with warfarin. The majority of teeth could be extracted with minimal problems in patients with cardiovascular diseases receiving treatment with anticoagulant therapy.