Personalized Medicine and Oral Cancer

Abstract

Oral cancer (OC) is one of the most frequent malignancies worldwide, is constantly increasing especially in developing countries and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Early diagnosis and treatment play a decisive role in survival outcomes and are directly influenced by socio-economic factors. According to studies, the worst pattern of invasion could be an important prognostic factor in oral squamous cell cancer, may be useful for risk stratification and treatment decision making and can help more personalized and effective treatment strategies. Moreover, studies have shown that the status of Bcl-2 protein is related to successful head and neck cancer (HNC) treatments and prognosis for survival, when saliva as a liquid biopsy is an emerging approach for screening and early diagnosis of cancer. In addition, immunologically active saliva substitutes appear more effective in treating dry mouth, while acyclovir and valacyclovir are effective in preventing and treating oral herpes in patients receiving cancer treatment. Furthermore, oral mucositis (OM) is an important side effect in patients receiving any type of systemic antineoplastics and radiation therapy, degrades their quality of life, causes delays or changes in anticancer treatment, and must be treated immediately due to its high frequency regardless of its staging. In the future, tissue electrical parameters could be used to predict side effects of radiotherapy (RT). Also there appear to be 2 subgroups of patients with HNC that are molecularly and clinically distinct from each other and this helps to develop individualized effective therapies. Finally, TeleDentistry can offer possibilities for detection, early diagnosis, treatment, and remote monitoring of potentially malignant disorders by a specialist.