Pathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma- An update

Oral cancer is the sixth most common malignancy in the world. Oral cancer is of major concern in Southeast Asia primarily because of the deleterious habits such as smoking, betel nut chewing and alcohol consumption. Despite recent advances in cancer diagnoses and therapies, the survival rate of oral cancer patients has remained at a dismal 50% in the last few decades. This paper is an overview of the various etiological agents and risk factors implicated in the development of oral cancer.

Keywords: Tobacco, Alcohol, Squamous cell carcinoma, Risk factors.