Oral premalignancy: new methods of detection and treatment

Oral carcinogenesis proceeds through a stepwise accumulation of genetic damage over time. Because the oral cavity is easy to examine and risk factors for oral cancer are known, there is great opportunity to improve patient outcomes through diagnosis and treatment of pre-malignant lesions before the development of invasive oral carcinoma. This review provides a summary of developments in detection and diagnosis of oral premalignant lesions and innovative approaches to management of early oral neoplasia. These technological and therapeutic advances are much needed to improve the poor outcomes associated with oral cancer due to our inability to diagnose and treat this disease at an early, curable stage.