Update on Molecular Pathology in Oral Cancer and Precancer

Oral carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process involving numerous genetic events that alter normal functions of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. This may increase the production of growth factors or the number of receptors on the cell surface, and/or increase transcription factors or intracel...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Anticancer research 2008-03, Vol.28 (2B), p.1197-1205
Main Authors: J. CAMPO-TRAPERO, J. CANO-SÁNCHEZ, B. PALACIOS-SÁNCHEZ, JJ. SÁNCHEZ-GUTIERREZ, M.A. GONZÁLEZ-MOLES, A. BASCONES-MARTÍNEZ
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biological and medical sciences
Disease Progression
Humans
Medical sciences
Mouth Neoplasms - genetics
Mouth Neoplasms - pathology
Mouth Neoplasms - virology
Otorhinolaryngology. Stomatology
Precancerous Conditions - genetics
Precancerous Conditions - pathology
Precancerous Conditions - virology
Tumors
Upper respiratory tract, upper alimentary tract, paranasal sinuses, salivary glands: diseases, semeiology
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Summary:Oral carcinogenesis is a multifactorial process involving numerous genetic events that alter normal functions of oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes. This may increase the production of growth factors or the number of receptors on the cell surface, and/or increase transcription factors or intracellular signal messengers. Together with the loss of tumour suppressor activity, these changes lead to a cell phenotype that can increase cell proliferation, with loss of cell cohesion, and infiltration of adjacent tissue thus causing distant metastasis. Molecular pathology is responsible for defining the molecular mechanisms that underlie the onset of oral precancer and cancer. The aim of this review is to describe recent advances in our understanding of the molecular control of the innumerable pathways related to these processes. These may lead to short- or medium term improvements in the diagnosis and prognosis of oral precancerous and cancerous lesions and to the development of novel therapeutic approaches to this disease.
ISSN:0250-7005
1791-7530