Current status of oral cytology for early detection of oral cancer

Abstract

Oral cancer is increasing in Japan and advanced oral cancer affects the quality of life. The first treatment for advanced oral cancer is usually surgical resection, and early detection that allows early treatment is important. The demand for oral exfoliative cytology is increasing. It is a quick, simple, and economical procedure based on a relatively atraumatic semi-invasive technique. The procedure for cell extraction and cytopreparation influences the timing of cytological diagnosis. Cytology has many advantages; however, it is necessary to understand the limits of screening and performing the tests. Recently, the development of liquid-based cytology （LBC） has increased the cell amounts retrieved and reduced the artifacts due to hemorrhage and saliva. This article provides an outline of oral exfoliative cytology from the perspective of cytological diagnosis. Moreover, a comparison with cytological diagnosis at Kyushu Dental University was conducted and we report the utility and limitations of oral cytology.