Leukoplakia: molecular understanding of pre-malignant lesions and implications for clinical management.
Oral leukoplakia is a white patch or plaque of the oral mucosa that cannot be characterized clinically or pathologically as any other diagnosable disease. Although oral leukoplakia is a well-known oral premalignant lesion with a high risk for development of oral cancer, little is known about its genetic basis. The development of oral cancer is a multistep process and it is believed that multiple genetic alterations are involved. Understanding this underlying genetic basis of oral cancer development will help us design better diagnosis and treatment plans in the cancer clinic. This review discusses recent progress in the identification of genetic and cytogenetic alterations in oral pre-malignant lesions and their potential clinical applications.
Mao
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Dept of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA. Li_Mao@dom.mdacc.tmc.edu
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000235:genetics*; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / Q000235:genetics; D002899:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 9 / Q000235:genetics; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D007971:Leukoplakia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D019656:Loss of Heterozygosity / Q000235:genetics; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019098:Telomerase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018168:Receptors, Retinoic Acid; D016159:Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; D019098:Telomerase