Potentially Malignant Disorders of Oral Cavity

Even though rapid advances have been made in the field of medicine and surgery, cancer is the leading cause for human mortality. It is estimated that more than one million new oral cancer cases are being detected annually in the Indian subcontinent, of which 90% are oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCC). 60-70% of the Indian patients presented for treatment only in the advanced stage of oral cancer leading to the high mortality rate. Lack of public awareness about the signs, symptoms and risk factors, along with the absence of knowledge for early detection by health-care providers are believed to be responsible for this diagnostic delay and treatment initiation. It has been established by researchers that virtually all OSCC’s are preceded by visible clinical changes in the oral mucosa, usually in the form of white or red patch. This article makes an attempt to provide and update the knowledge about the potentially malignant disorders to health-care providers in order to help in early detection and treatment, thus reducing the mortality of oral cancer