Abstract
The standardization of pathological diagnosis in oral cancers and precancerous lesions is considered to be extremely important in achieving the mandate of the National Cancer Registry and standardization of cancer treatment. Problems in diagnostic systems include an issue in the diagnosis of oral cancer for the standardization of pathological diagnosis. The pathological diagnosis includes definitions and terminology in oral cancer, so the standardization of disease definitions and terminology is the foundation of standardization of diagnosis between clinicians and pathologists, and collaboration between pathologists and pathologists. From the global aspect, the terms and definitions used in the pathological diagnosis of oral cancers and precancerous lesions are based on the UICC classification for cancer staging and WHO classification for histopathology. Additionally, in Japan, the General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Studies on Oral Cancer (1st. ed) and the General Rules for Clinical Studies on Head and Neck Cancer (5th. ed) are used for the diagnosis of oral cancer. Some differences can be found in the staging, definitions, and terms used for diagnosis in these classification and rules. This situation concerning the criteria and terms used for pathological diagnosis could cause some misunderstanding in cancer treatment. Currently, the Japan Society for Oral Tumors has discussed revising the General Rules for Clinical and Pathological Studies on Oral Cancer. In order to standardize the diagnosis of oral cancer, we need to ensure consistency between Japan and international standards by revising the staging, definitions, and terms based on the UICC classification and WHO classification in the near future.
