22/08/2026
Diagnosed case of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma with true cauliflower like exophytic growth.
đώ āĻŽā§āĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰ â Oral Cancer
ā§§. āĻŽā§āĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰ āĻā§?
āĻŽā§āĻāĻāĻšā§āĻŦāϰā§āϰ āϝā§āĻā§āύ⧠āĻ
āĻāĻļā§āϰ āĻā§āώ āĻ
āϏā§āĻŦāĻžāĻāĻžāĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻ āĻ
āύāĻŋā§āύā§āϤā§āϰāĻŋāϤāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒā§ā§ā§ malignant tumour āϤā§āϰāĻŋ āĻāϰāϞ⧠āϤāĻžāĻā§ oral cancer āĻŦāϞāĻž āĻšā§āĨ¤
āĻŽā§āĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰā§āϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠āϏāĻŦāĻā§ā§ā§ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āĻĻā§āĻāĻž āϝāĻžā§:
Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC)
āĻ
āϰā§āĻĨāĻžā§, oral mucosa-āĻāϰ squamous epithelial cell āĻĨā§āĻā§ āĻā§āĻĒāύā§āύ carcinomaāĨ¤
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⧍. āĻŽā§āĻā§āϰ āĻā§āύ āĻā§āύ āĻāĻžā§āĻāĻžā§ āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§?
Oral cavity-āĻāϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύ āĻ
āĻāĻļā§ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§:
* Lip
* Buccal mucosa
* Labial mucosa
* Gingiva/alveolar mucosa
* Hard palate
* Soft palate-āĻāϰ anterior āĻ
āĻāĻļ
* Tongue
* Floor of mouth
* Retromolar trigone
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ā§Š. āĻĒā§āϰāϧāĻžāύ Histological type
āϏāĻŦāĻā§ā§ā§ common:
Squamous Cell Carcinoma â āĻĒā§āϰāĻžā§ 90%
āĻāĻāĻžā§āĻžāĻ āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§:
* Verrucous carcinoma
* Mucoepidermoid carcinoma
* Adenoid cystic carcinoma
* Adenocarcinoma
* Sarcoma
ā§Ē. Risk factors
A. To***co
āϏāĻŦāĻā§ā§ā§ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ risk factorāĨ¤
B. Betel quid / āĻĒāĻžāύ
āĻŦāĻžāĻāϞāĻžāĻĻā§āĻļ āĻ South Asia-āϤ⧠āĻ
āϤā§āϝāύā§āϤ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώ āĻāϰā§:
āĻĒāĻžāύ + āϏā§āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ + āĻāϰā§āĻĻāĻž/āϤāĻžāĻŽāĻžāĻ
āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻĻāĻŋāύ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ⧠oral cancer-āĻāϰ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻĻā§āϧāĻŋ āĻĒāĻžā§āĨ¤
C. Areca nut / āϏā§āĻĒāĻžāϰāĻŋ
āϤāĻžāĻŽāĻžāĻ āύāĻž āĻĨāĻžāĻāϞā§āĻ areca nut carcinogenic āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώāĻāĻžāĻŦā§:
Oral Submucous Fibrosis (OSMF)
āĻāϰ āϏāĻā§āĻā§ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϤāĨ¤
āϤāĻŦā§ āĻāĻāĻāĻŋ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āĻāĻĨāĻž:
āĻĻāĻžāĻāϤā§āϰ sharp edge āĻŦāĻž chronic trauma-āĻā§ āĻāĻāĻž oral cancer-āĻāϰ established primary cause āĻšāĻŋāϏā§āĻŦā§ āϧāϰāĻž āĻšā§ āύāĻžāĨ¤
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ā§Ģ. Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders
āĻāĻā§āϞ⧠āύāĻŋāĻā§ cancer āύā§, āĻāĻŋāύā§āϤ⧠āĻāĻŦāĻŋāώā§āϝāϤ⧠malignancy āĻšāĻā§āĻžāϰ āĻā§āĻāĻāĻŋ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋāĨ¤
āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ:
1. Leukoplakia
āĻŽā§āĻā§āϰ mucosa-āϤ⧠āĻāĻŽāύ white patch/plaque āϝāĻž āĻ
āύā§āϝ āĻā§āύ⧠āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻĻāĻŋāώā§āĻ disease āĻšāĻŋāϏā§āĻŦā§ clinically āĻŦāĻž histologically āĻŦā§āϝāĻžāĻā§āϝāĻž āĻāϰāĻž āϝāĻžā§ āύāĻžāĨ¤
2. Erythroplakia
Red patch/plaqueāĨ¤
āĻāĻāĻŋ leukoplakia-āĻāϰ āϤā§āϞāύāĻžā§ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ suspiciousāĨ¤
3. Erythroleukoplakia
āĻāĻāĻ lesion-āĻ red + white componentāĨ¤
4. Oral Submucous Fibrosis
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώ āĻāϰ⧠areca nut chewing-āĻāϰ āϏāĻā§āĻā§ āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒāϰā§āĻāĻŋāϤāĨ¤
5. Oral lichen planus
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώ āĻāϰ⧠erosive/atrophic forms āύāĻŋā§ā§ malignant transformation-āĻāϰ āĻāϞā§āĻāύāĻž āĻāϰāĻž āĻšā§āĨ¤
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*** Oral cancer-āĻāϰ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ clinical features
āĻŽā§āĻā§āϰ āĻā§āϝāĻžāύā§āϏāĻžāϰ āĻŦāĻŋāĻāĻŋāύā§āύāĻāĻžāĻŦā§ present āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
āϏāĻŦāĻā§ā§ā§ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ warning signs:
đ´ Non-healing ulcer
āϝ⧠ulcer āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻāĻŋāĻāĻŋā§āϏāĻžā§ ā§¨âā§Š āϏāĻĒā§āϤāĻžāĻšā§āϰ āĻŽāϧā§āϝ⧠āĻāĻžāϞ⧠āĻšā§ āύāĻž, āϏā§āĻāĻŋāĻā§ investigate āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
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āĻŽāύ⧠āϰāĻžāĻāĻŦā§āύ:
Induration is a very important clinical feature of malignancy.
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ā§Ŧ. Oral ulcer āύāĻŋā§ā§ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ rule
āĻā§āύ⧠oral ulcer āϝāĻĻāĻŋ:
⧍ āϏāĻĒā§āϤāĻžāĻšā§āϰ āĻŦā§āĻļāĻŋ āϏāĻŽā§ āϧāϰ⧠āĻĨāĻžāĻā§ āĻāĻŦāĻ āĻāĻžāϰāĻŖ āĻĒāϰāĻŋāώā§āĻāĻžāϰ āύāĻž āĻĨāĻžāĻā§
āϤāĻžāĻšāϞ⧠āϏā§āĻāĻŋ biopsy/appropriate investigation-āĻāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ consider āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
āĻļā§āϧ⧠antibiotic āĻŦāĻž mouthwash āĻĻāĻŋā§ā§ āĻĻā§āϰā§āĻāĻĻāĻŋāύ treatment āĻāĻžāϞāĻŋā§ā§ āϝāĻžāĻā§āĻž āĻāĻāĻŋāϤ āύ⧠āϝāĻĻāĻŋ suspicious features āĻĨāĻžāĻā§āĨ¤
ā§. Cervical lymph node metastasis
Oral cancer-āĻāϰ āĻ
āύā§āϝāϤāĻŽ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ āĻŦāĻŋāώ⧠āĻšāϞ⧠lymphatic spreadāĨ¤
āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ cervical lymph nodes āĻāĻā§āϰāĻžāύā§āϤ āĻšā§āĨ¤
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώ āĻāϰā§:
* Level I
* Level II
* Level III
* Level IV
Tumour-āĻāϰ location āĻ
āύā§āϝāĻžā§ā§ drainage āĻĒāϰāĻŋāĻŦāϰā§āϤāĻŋāϤ āĻšā§āĨ¤
āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ concept:
Occult metastasis
āĻ
āϰā§āĻĨāĻžā§ clinical examination-āĻ lymph node negative āĻšāϞā§āĻ microscopic metastasis āĻĨāĻžāĻāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
āĻāĻāĻŋ treatment planning-āĻ āĻ
āϤā§āϝāύā§āϤ āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤
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ā§Ž. Diagnosis āĻā§āĻāĻžāĻŦā§ āĻāϰāĻž āĻšā§?
Diagnosis-āĻāϰ āĻŽā§āϞ āĻāĻŋāϤā§āϤāĻŋ:
1. History
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⧝.Clinical examination
āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ oral cavity examine āĻāϰāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§āĨ¤
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ā§§ā§Ļ. Biopsy
Definitive diagnosis-āĻāϰ gold standard:
Histopathological examination of biopsy specimen
Suspicious lesion-āĻāϰ āĻā§āώā§āϤā§āϰ⧠biopsy āĻāϰāĻž āĻšā§āĨ¤
Incisional biopsy
āĻŦā§ lesion āĻŦāĻž suspicious malignant lesion-āĻāϰ āĻā§āώā§āϤā§āϰ⧠āϏāĻžāϧāĻžāϰāĻŖāϤ incisional biopsy āĻāϰāĻž āĻšā§āĨ¤
Excisional biopsy
āĻā§āĻ, clinically benign-appearing lesion āĻšāϞ⧠āϏāĻŽā§āĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖ lesion excise āĻāϰ⧠diagnosis āĻāϰāĻž āϝāĻžā§āĨ¤
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ā§§ā§§. Biopsy āĻā§āĻĨāĻž āĻĨā§āĻā§ āύāĻŋāϤ⧠āĻšāĻŦā§?
Malignant ulcer-āĻāϰ āĻā§āώā§āϤā§āϰā§:
Ulcer edge + adjacent normal-looking tissue
āĻĨā§āĻā§ representative sample āύā§āĻā§āĻž āĻā§āϰā§āϤā§āĻŦāĻĒā§āϰā§āĻŖāĨ¤
āĻļā§āϧ⧠necrotic centre āĻĨā§āĻā§ biopsy āĻāϰāϞ⧠diagnosis miss āĻšāϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§āĨ¤
⧧⧍. Imaging
Tumour-āĻāϰ extent āĻāĻŦāĻ staging-āĻāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻŦā§āϝāĻŦāĻšāĻžāϰ āĻāϰāĻž āϝā§āϤ⧠āĻĒāĻžāϰā§:
CT scan
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώ āĻāϰā§:
* Bone invasion
* Mandibular involvement
* Cervical nodes
āĻĻā§āĻāϤ⧠usefulāĨ¤
MRI
āĻŦāĻŋāĻļā§āώ āĻāϰā§:
* Soft tissue extent
* Tongue lesion
* Perineural spread
āĻāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻā§āĻŦ usefulāĨ¤
OPG
Mandibular involvement āĻĻā§āĻāĻžāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ useful āĻšāϞā§āĻ definitive staging-āĻāϰ āĻāύā§āϝ āĻāĻāĻž āϝāĻĨā§āώā§āĻ āύā§āĨ¤
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ā§§ā§Š. Treatment
Treatment āύāĻŋāϰā§āĻāϰ āĻāϰā§:
* Site
* Stage
* Tumour size
* Nodal status
* Histopathology
* Patientâs general condition
āĻāϰ āĻāĻĒāϰāĨ¤
āĻĒā§āϰāϧāĻžāύ modalities:
1. Surgery
2. Radiotherapy
3. Chemotherapy
4. Chemoradiotherapy
5. Targeted/immunotherapy â selected cases