Abstract
INTRODUCTION: With 300,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide, oral cancer continues to be a major global public threat. In Indian subcontinent, oral cancer accounts for 30-40% of all cancer types. METHODOLOGY: Early detection of oral cancer is still considered as the most effective way to improve survival. In this regard, early detection of oral premalignant lesions and conditions is quite important as it may help in prevention of oral cancer. Scientific evidence is available which clearly indicates that transition from normal epithelium to premalignancy to oral carcinoma is the result of accumulation of genetic and epigenetic alterations in a multi-step process. CONCLUSION: Proper oral screening and understanding of the genetic and environmental factors involved in oral carcinogenesis will allow the emphasis of cancer medicine to shift from the therapy of established oral cancer to the prevention of oral carcinogenesis.