Oral Mucosal Malignancies

Oral mucosal malignancies are a heterogeneous group of conditions commonly encountered in oral medicine practice, for which oral medicine specialists play a central role in both diagnosis and management. Although various descriptions are used to define the entities included under this broad category of diseases, the most common of these is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). OSCC accounts for up to 90% of oral mucosal malignancies and is a devastating disease. Despite momentous gains in detection, diagnosis, treatment, as well as community and health practitioner awareness of this disease, there remains a significant amount of work to be done to limit its alarming effects on patients and their families. Many OSCCs arise de novo, while others are preceded by more common conditions known collectively as oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD). Oral medicine specialists exert a significant amount of time and skill dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of OPMD and are best placed to play a leading role in their therapy. With the ever-increasing understanding of the molecular pathogenesis of OPMD and OSCC, clinicians must be prepared to adopt new concepts of diagnosis and management and be able to articulate these to their patients in a personalized manner. With these concepts in mind, this chapter details the etiology, pathogenesis, clinical presentation, pathological features, and management approaches of OPMD and OSCC.