An Overview on Current Non-invasive Diagnostic Devices in Oral Oncology

Abstract

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the most common head and neck malignancy, and despite advances in cancer therapies, the overall 5-year survival rate has remained below 50% over the past decades. OSCC is typically preceded by potentially malignant disorders (PMD), but distinguishing high-risk from low-risk PMD is challenging. In the last years, several diagnostic methods as light-based detection systems (LBDS) have been proposed to facilitate the detection of OSCC and PMD. Furthermore, the recent evolution of nanotechnology may provide new opportunities to detect PMD and OSCC at an early stage. Indeed, several preclinical studies showed the potential of nanotechnology to enhance diagnostic accuracy. For these reasons, it is fundamental to conduct studies to evaluate the efficacy of nanotechnology implementation in LBDS. The aim of this article is to review the current literature on LBDS and to provide a summary of the sensitivity and specificity of each technique, and possible future applications of nanotechnologies. The LBDS showed great potential for screening and monitoring oral lesions, but there are several factors that hinder an extensive use of these devices. These devices seem to be useful in assessing lesion margins that must be biopsied. However, to date, conventional oral examination, and tissue biopsy remain the gold standard for OSCC diagnosis. The use of nanotechnologies could be the next step in the evolution of LBDS, thus providing devices that can help clinicians to detect and better monitor oral lesions.

Integrated analysis of lncRNA-miRNA-mRNA ceRNA network in squamous cell carcinoma of tongue

“…Despite the advances in treatment options, the prognosis of patients with advanced SCCT remains poor [5]. In China, although pingyangmycin and/or cisplatin-based chemotherapies have shown good results, chemotherapy resistance always develops later and causes the therapy to fail [6]. In the past three decades, the 5-year survival rate of patients with SCCT was less than 50% [7].…”

Differential diagnosis of leukoplakia versus lichen planus of the oral mucosa based on digital texture analysis in intraoral photography

“…Many non-invasive systems such as ViziLite ® , ViziLite ® PLUS, Velscope ® , and Identafi ® are available to detect precancerous lesions. 23 These systems are based on fluorescence or autofluorescence of suspicious lesions. Jain et al confirmed that a method of ViziLite ® PLUS examination was most effective in cases of leukoplakia in assessing the size, borders and shape of the lesion, followed by toluidine blue and incandescent light examinations.…”

LINC00312/YBX1 Axis Regulates Myofibroblast Activities in Oral Submucous Fibrosis

“…Among the subtypes of OPMD, OSF has the third-highest malignant transformation rate [2]. Nevertheless, it is still challenging to detect lesions undergoing malignant transformation using the current noninvasive diagnostic devices due to some difficulties, such as interobserver variability [3]. Since the efficacy of the most recent diagnostic methods to monitor oral lesions was not ideal and the prognosis of patients with recurrent or metastatic oral cancer treated with chemotherapy remains poor [4], it is imperative to prevent or delay the progression of OSF into oral cancer and decipher the etiological mechanisms of OSF.…”