Recent Studies on Oral Cancer: Diagnostic Technologies, Pathology, and Surgery

A special issue of Cancers (ISSN 2072-6694). This special issue belongs to the section "Clinical Research of Cancer".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 July 2025 | Viewed by 1916

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: clinical dentistry; restorative dentistry; oral surgery; oral pathology; dental implantology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: oral surgery; maxillo-facial surgery; oral pathology; salivary gland pathology; dental implantology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor Assistant
Department of Interdisciplinary Medicine, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70124 Bari, Italy
Interests: clinical dentistry; oral surgery; oral pathology; oral medicine; community dentistry

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Oral cancer is the cause of millions of deaths worldwide per year; therefore, further efforts by researchers are necessary to improve the diagnosis, targeted treatments and prognosis of such a malignancy.

The editors aim to gather the latest evidence on the diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for oral cancer and potentially malignant disorders; therefore, the editors invite you to contribute to the current Special Issue.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but not limited to) the following:

  • Oral cancer;
  • Oral squamous cell carcinoma;
  • Oral potentially malignant disorders;
  • Diagnostic technologies;
  • Oral surgery;
  • Maxillo-facial surgery;
  • Oncology;
  • Radiology;
  • Immunohistochemistry;
  • Molecular biology.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Luisa Limongelli
Dr. Gianfranco F. Favia
Guest Editors

Dr. Fabio Dell’Olio
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • oral cancer
  • oral squamous cell carcinoma
  • oral potentially malignant disorders
  • diagnostic technologies
  • oral surgery
  • maxillo-facial surgery
  • oncology
  • radiology
  • immunohistochemistry
  • molecular biology

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

16 pages, 1767 KiB  
Article
Peri-Implant Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC): Clinicopathological Features and Staging Issues
by Luisa Limongelli, Fabio Dell’Olio, Antonio D’Amati, Eliano Cascardi, Marta Forte, Rosaria Arianna Siciliani, Alfonso Manfuso, Eugenio Maiorano, Gianfranco Favia, Chiara Copelli and Saverio Capodiferro
Cancers 2025, 17(13), 2149; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers17132149 - 26 Jun 2025
Viewed by 164
Abstract
Background: Eighty-five percent of peri-implant malignancies are oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs), and most of them are misdiagnosed as peri-implantitis because of their clinical and radiological presentation; few studies have focused on addressing and solving the diagnostic issues related to peri-implant OSCCs. Objectives: [...] Read more.
Background: Eighty-five percent of peri-implant malignancies are oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs), and most of them are misdiagnosed as peri-implantitis because of their clinical and radiological presentation; few studies have focused on addressing and solving the diagnostic issues related to peri-implant OSCCs. Objectives: The study aimed to describe the clinicopathological features of peri-implant OSCCs and to report the staging issues related to the diagnosis of these lesions. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who received a diagnosis of and treatment for peri-implant OSCCs at the Unit of Dentistry of the “Aldo Moro” University of Bari (Italy) from 2018 to 2024. By using descriptive statistics, the authors highlighted the diagnostic issues related to the clinical presentation, radiological features, and histology of peri-implant OSCCs. Results: A total of 13 women and 8 men with a mean age of 70.6 ± 11.7 years met the inclusion criteria; the medical history of the participants showed potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) in 52.4% of patients, whereas 14.3% had already developed an OSCC. The patients showed 24 peri-implant OSCCs; the clinical presentation was leuko-erythroplakia-like (41.7%) or erythroplakia-like (58.3%), thus simulating peri-implantitis; in addition, 52.0% of dental implants involved had a probing pocket depth ≥ 10 mm, further mimicking peri-implantitis. Panoramic radiograms and cone beam computed tomography were of little use in studying bundle bone–implant interfaces; in particular, the tomography showed circumferential bone resorption only in peri-implantitis-like OSCCs. In total, 91.6% of histological examinations of OSCCs showed peri-implantitis-like inflammation; early-stage lesions (pTNM I-II) accounted for 33.3%, whereas late-stage lesions (pTNM III-IV) accounted for 66.7%; lymph nodal metastases occurred in 25.0% and 62.5%, respectively. The mean follow-up was 3.4 ± 1.0 years; all patients with OPMDs had poorly differentiated tumors and thus showed a worse prognosis than those without OPMDs (mean disease-free survival of 15.5 ± 7.7 months and 44.7 ± 12.1 months, respectively). Conclusions: The results of the study showed that peri-implant OSCCs occurred most frequently in patients with OPMDs or previous OSCC; in addition, peri-implant OSCCs required demolition rather than conservative excision, and the prognosis of patients strictly depended on the grade of the cancer. In the authors’ experience, the clinical–radiological presentation simulating peri-implantitis was the feature that concurred most in complicating the diagnosis of those tumors. Full article
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16 pages, 21457 KiB  
Article
Virtual Tumor Mapping: A New Standard for Surgeon–Pathologist Collaboration in Treating Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
by Adam Michcik, Maksym Jopek, Rafał Pęksa, Piotr Choma, Łukasz Garbacewicz, Adam Polcyn, Tomasz Wach, Maciej Sikora and Barbara Drogoszewska
Cancers 2024, 16(22), 3761; https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers16223761 - 7 Nov 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1218
Abstract
Background: The histopathological assessment is critical in the comprehensive treatment process for patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A detailed and precise specimen characterization is essential to facilitate effective surgeon–pathologist communication. Methods: In response to this need, a user-friendly virtual communication [...] Read more.
Background: The histopathological assessment is critical in the comprehensive treatment process for patients diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). A detailed and precise specimen characterization is essential to facilitate effective surgeon–pathologist communication. Methods: In response to this need, a user-friendly virtual communication protocol utilizing a 3D scanner has been developed. This study involved 50 patients with OSCC, whose resected tumors were directly scanned in the operating room and subsequently annotated and characterized using available software. Results: The direct application of annotations and descriptions onto the virtual tumor specimens significantly enhanced the quantity and accuracy of information conveyed to the pathologist. Conclusions: The proposed solution’s repeatability and standardized approach make integration into routine clinical practice feasible, thereby establishing a potential new standard in the field. Full article
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