Biosensors for oral cancer detection: a scoping review

This scoping review summarizes recent advances in biosensor technologies for the early, non-invasive detection of oral cancer, with a focus on salivary biomarkers and point-of-care platforms. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, ProQuest, and EBSCO) were searched for studies published from 2019 to 2025. After duplicate removal and screening, nine eligible original studies were charted. The included platforms were primarily electrochemical, optical, and transistor-based biosensors targeting biomarkers such as interleukin-8 (IL-8), cytokeratin fragment 21.1 (Cyfra 21.1), cancerous inhibitor of PP2A (CIP2A/P90), and high-risk HPV genotypes. Reported limits of detection were frequently in the femtomolar range, although reporting of assay time, sample volume, and clinical diagnostic accuracy was inconsistent. Overall, biosensors show strong analytical potential for oral cancer screening; however, translation to routine clinical use will require standardized analytical validation, careful control of pre-analytical saliva variables, and well-designed multicenter clinical studies reporting sensitivity and specificity against appropriate reference standards.