Liquid Biopsy as a Tool for the Characterisation and Early Detection of the Field Cancerization Effect in Patients with Oral Cavity Carcinoma

The emerging role of liquid biopsy in oral squamous cell carcinoma detection: advantages and challenges

INTRODUCTION

Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OSCC), the sixth most widespread malignancy in the world, accounts for 90% of all cases of oral cancer. The primary risk factors are tobacco chewing, alcohol consumption, viral infection, and genetic modifications. OSCC has a high morbidity rate due to the lack of early diagnostic methods. Nowadays, liquid biopsy plays a vital role in the initial diagnosis of oral cancer. ctNAs extracted from saliva and serum/plasma offer meaningful insights into tumor genetics and dynamics. The interplay of these elements in saliva and serum/plasma showcases their significance in advancing noninvasive, effective OSCC detection and monitoring.

AREAS COVERED

This review mainly focused on the role of liquid biopsy as an emerging point in the diagnosis and prognosis of OSCC and the current advancements and challenges associated with liquid biopsy.

EXPERT OPINION

Liquid biopsy is regarded as a new, minimally invasive, real-time monitoring tool for cancer diagnosis and prognosis. Many biomolecules found in bodily fluids, including ctDNA, ctRNA, CTCs, and EVs, are significant biomarkers to identify cancer in its early stages. Despite these groundbreaking strides, challenges persist. Standardization of sample collection, isolation, processing, and detection methods is imperative for ensuring result reproducibility across diverse studies.

A snapshot of miRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma: Difference between cancer cells and corresponding normal cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) constitutes the most aggressive tumors of the oral cavity and is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality worldwide. Although recent clinical treatment strategies have improved the survival rate, the outcome of OSCC patients still remains dismal because of the lack of efficient diagnostic and treatment tools. As one of the main actors of OSCC scenario, microRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in triggering, progression and metastasis through the regulation of various cancer-related signaling pathways. Identification followed by precise study of the biology and mechanism of action of miRNAs will greatly help to provide valuable insights regarding OSCC development and can be considered as an anti-OSCC target. In the current review, we have provided a focused summary of the latest published papers on the role of miRNAs in apoptosis, cell cycle, proliferation, EMT and metastasis of OSCC as well as the role of long noncoding RNAs in the modulation of miRNAs in OSCC.

Circulating biomarkers in oral cancer: Unravelling the mystery

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is among the most common malignancies and a leading cause of death in developing countries. Late diagnosis and regional and/or distant metastasis worsen the prognosis of this condition. Despite the advances in diagnostic modalities and management strategies, there is little improvement in the 5-year survival rate. A deeper insight into the molecular events of various tumours has enabled the use of minimally invasive methods for monitoring disease progression, prognostication and treatment monitoring. Although studies in OSCC are preliminary, the use of liquid biopsies has opened new frontiers for the development of biomarkers that can serve as alternatives to conventional biopsies and imaging methods. Circulating biomarkers in blood allow for the real-time monitoring of tumour and therapeutic responses. This review aims to outline the promises and challenges of circulating biomarkers in OSCC with special emphasis on circulating tumour cells, circulating tumor DNA, and exosomes.