Use of Toothbrush as a Cost-effective Noninvasive Source of DNA for Molecular Oral Oncology Investigations during COVID Pandemic.

ABSTRACT

Dear Editor, Oral cancer, specifically oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) has shown to be a major contributor to morbidity and mortality among tobacco/alcohol users.1,2 A prominent area of research in oral oncology is in the development of economical noninvasive screening tools capable of stratifying high-risk individuals, especially among those with associated habits. Cancer cytopathology has developed into a major branch in onco-diagnostics. Its noninvasive nature has led to its acceptance as a screening tool, especially in larger populations. The major hindrance is that medical personnel is often required to collect the sample using cytological tools such as the cytobrush.3.