Abstract
According to data compiled from the National Malignancy Registry Report of the Head and Neck Cancer Society, the annual distribution of oral cancer stages has not changed in the last 20 years, and advanced cancers remain common. Conversely, the proportion of patients diagnosed and treated with early-stage disease in the oro- and hypopharynx is increasing.
To enable the early diagnosis of oral cancer, it is necessary to accumulate and study clinical and basic medical data on the pathogenesis of early-stage cancer and its precursor lesions. However, unlike superficial cancer of the pharynx, oral superficial carcinoma has not yet been defined. Therefore, we examined oral epithelial dysplasia （OED）, intraepithelial carcinoma （CIS） and submucosal squamous cell carcinoma （SCC-SM） collectively as “oral superficial lesions.”
The gold standard for diagnosing superficial oral lesions is histological biopsy, and cytology can be used to confirm the diagnosis, although sampling from the center of the lesion is important. There is no clear consensus on the therapeutic management of OED; however, it is important to note that malignant transformation can occur even in lesions with mild dysplasia or in the absence of OED.
This paper reports on the current status and issues regarding the diagnosis and treatment of superficial oral lesions.
