DNA microarrays in oral cancer

One of the principal aims of modern cancer research is to identify markers allowing individual prediction of prognosis or response to treatment. In this connection, the number of genes thought to be involved in the different stages of different types of oral cancer increases apace. DNA microarrays allow simultaneous evaluation of the expression of hundreds of genes in a single assay. The parallel format of microassay slides is designed to allow rapid comparison of gene expression between two samples, for example tumor cells and healthy cells. This article reviews studies that have aimed to identify genes related to oral cancer, and to classify these genes into groups that are commonly co-expressed. These studies suggest that DNA microarrays are set to become routine tools in the detection, diagnosis, characterization and treatment of oral cancers.