Tissue biomarkers for diagnosis & management of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) accounts for more than 90% of malignancies of the oral cavity and oropharynx. Globally, SCC is one of the top ten cancers with a predilection for older males. In the U.S., SCC accounts for more deaths annually than cervical cancer, malignant melanoma or Hodgkin's lymphoma and costs about 2 billion dollars in treatment expenses. The 5-year survival rate is less than 50%, a prognosis that is poorer than that of breast cancer or melanoma.2 Significant numbers of patients develop local recurrence, second primary tumors and distant metastases. Patients presenting with late stage disease resulting in poor survival, are common; in part due to inadequate screening protocols and access to care issues. In the following review article, the risk factors, current screening protocols, treatment options and biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of SCC, will be discussed.