Oral leukoplakia: Diagnosis and treatment

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Oral leukoplakia (OL) is a common premalignant lesion. The possible benefits of specific interventions in preventing a malignant transformation of OL are not well understood. This review assesses different invasive treatment techniques for OL and evaluate the optimal treatment possibilities. METHODS: A Medline (PubMed) search was conducted and heterogeneity between the studies was found, e.g., with regard to the OL lesions, patient groups, follow-up time, and definition of recurrence. RESULTS: The recurrence and malignant transformation rate after the different treatment methods were evaluated. The mean overall recurrence rate varied with the treatment method. CONCLUSION: A surgical treatment appears to decrease the risk of transformation but does not fully eliminate it. Follow-up should be done regardless of the surgical treatment. KEYWORDS: Oral Leukoplakia; Squamous Cell Carcinoma; Chemotherapy; Laser Ablation; Cryosurger