Therapeutic Options in Unresectable Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: A Systematic Review

Abstract

Purpose This review describes the current scientific evidence of therapeutic options in unresectable oral squamous cell carcinoma. Methods This study followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We searched MEDLINE (Via PubMed) to identify studies assessing treatments for unresectable oral squamous cell carcinoma. The methodological quality assessment of the included studies was performed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) checklist tool. The evidence was organized and presented using tables and narrative synthesis. Results Thirty-three studies met the eligibility criteria. Most studies had an observational design. The sample size varied from 16 to 916 participants. The methodology quality of the included studies ranged from 2.5 to 10 using the JBI tool. Overall, the optimal treatment of patients with unresectable oral cancer is challenging, so there is a sprinkling of studies assessing a variety of therapeutic options, such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, concurrent chemoradiotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy plus chemotherapy or radiotherapy, and gene therapy plus chemotherapy. Conclusion There is lacking evidence about the benefits of some therapeutic options for unresectable oral squamous cell carcinoma. Overall, these patients can be treated using a multimodal approach such as concurrent chemoradiotherapy or induction chemotherapy followed by chemoradiotherapy, which have shown good clinical outcomes. However, other options could be considered depending on the assessment of risk/benefits, tumor extension, and patient values and preferences.

PD‐L1 in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A key biomarker from the laboratory to the bedside

“…The inclusion criteria derived from this framework were: (i) both prospective and retrospective studies investigating PD‐L1 expression in samples procured from primary and naive OSCC patients; and (ii) studies that reported survival indexes based on calculating multivariable hazard ratio (HR) and its 95% confidence interval (95% CI) for at least OS and/or DFS. Our meta‐analysis adhered to existing guidelines, including Meta‐analyses Of Observational Studies in Epidemiology (MOOSE) guidelines (Stroup, 2000 ), Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses (PRISMA), and the Newcastle‐Ottawa Scale (NOS) statement (Liberati et al, 2009 ; Mattox et al, 2017 ). Studies not dealing with OSCC, not reporting PD‐L1 positive and negative expression, or not reporting survival data in an extractable manner were excluded, as were studies represented by abstracts only or other article types, such as letters, reviews, animal and cell culture studies, and case reports.…”

Bioinformatics based exploration of hsa-miR-194-5p regulation of CHD4 through PI3K/AKT signal pathway to enhance tumor resistance to apoptosis due to loss of nests and participate in poor prognosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma

“…Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) refers to squamous cell carcinoma originating in the oral cavity, including the cheeks, lips, mouth floor, tongue, and palate. It is one of the common head and neck malignant tumors worldwide ( 1 , 2 ). There are almost 300,000 new cases of OSCC each year, and about 170,000 related deaths ( 3 ).…”

miR‐19a may function as a biomarker of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) by regulating the signaling pathway of miR‐19a/GRK6/GPCRs/PKC in a Chinese population

“…As a predominant form of oral cancer, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) not only affects the lips, tongue, gums, floor of the mouth, and hard and soft palates, but also metastasizes to other parts of the body if not treated in time 1 . The various and complex risk factors which influence OSCC include smoking habits, alcohol use, poor oral hygiene, exposure to human papillomavirus (HPV), or even disease histories such as head and neck cancer 2 . It is crucial to understand the molecular changes during the development and progression of OSCC to improve OSCC patients' survival rates and reduce recurrence 3 …”