Oral verrucous carcinoma: From multifactorial etiology to diverse treatment regimens (Review)

Abstract

Abstract. Oral verrucous carcinoma (OVC) is a verrucous variant of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which accounts for 2-12% of all oral carcinomas with a 5-year survival rate of only approximately 50%. Enormous effort has been dedicated to this cancer, and the past decades have witnessed significant advances in relevant diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. Currently, there exist three challenges from primary sub-fields of research and clinical practice of the cancer, namely multifactorial etiology, complex molecular mechanism, and deficient treatment. This study reviews the existing literature on the cancer, encompassing its etiology, clinical manifestations and pathology, molecular mechanism, diagnosis and differential diagnosis, and treatment. For improved treatment of OVC, multifactorial etiology analysis, incorporation of effective biomarkers for mechanism illustration, and integration of multidisciplinary modalities are expounded, in an attempt to resolve the challenges and to provide a useful guide for future research in the field.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling pathway in oral cancer (Review)

“…Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is an important oral malignancy, accounting for >90% of head and neck malignant carcinoma cases (2). It has a 5-year survival rate of ~50% (3), due to delayed diagnosis, disease recurrence, distant metastasis and therapeutic resistance.…”

Recalcitrant lip verrucous carcinoma successfully treated with acitretin after carbon dioxide laser ablation

“… 1 The overall 5-year survival rate for OVC is approximately 50% in a retrospective cohort study. 2 The risk factors for OVC include chronic inflammation induced by chemical carcinogenesis associated with betel quid chewing, smoking, human papillomavirus infection, and immunosuppression. 1 , 2 The treatment of OVC remains in debate and is challenging.…”

“… 2 The risk factors for OVC include chronic inflammation induced by chemical carcinogenesis associated with betel quid chewing, smoking, human papillomavirus infection, and immunosuppression. 1 , 2 The treatment of OVC remains in debate and is challenging. Many options, including surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, cryosurgery, laser ablation, photodynamic therapy (PDT), systemic retinoid, and recombinant α-interferon, either in combinations or alone, are reported with varied success rates.…”

Which Clinicopathologic Factors Affect the Prognosis of Gingival Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Population Analysis of 4,345 Cases

“…17 VC is a low-grade variant of oral SCC that affects elderly men and characteristically presents as an exophytic, hyperkeratotic mass. 18 VC may either arise de novo or transform from a pre-existing PVL lesion. Although it is locally aggressive, VC is rarely known to metastasize to regional or distant sites; therefore, its prognosis is thought to be favorable compared with that of conventional SCC.…”