Burden of oral precancer and cancer among an indigenous tribal population of South India - An evaluative study.

Context: Oral cancer is of major concern in the Indian subcontinent and is found to be high among low socioeconomic groups. One such high-risk group is considered to be the tribal people, who are economically and socially marginalised. Aims: The aim of the present study is to assess the prevalence of oral cancer and precancer lesions among the Narikurava population in Puducherry state, India. Methods and Material: A total of 329 Narikurava tribal people were included in this study. Data was collected by clinical examination of the oral cavity by door-to-door screening. The oral cavity was examined for white/red lesions, ulcerative changes, leathery changes and tissue growths. Statistical Analysis Used: Prevalence was calculated in terms of percentages. Descriptive statistics included the calculation of percentages, mean, and standard deviation. Results: The prevalence of precancer in the population is 48.3%. The majority of the lesions were observed in the buccal mucosa: 41.6% had white lesions, 9.1% had red lesions, 0.3% had ulcerations or growth, and 28.3% had leathery changes followed by the labial mucosa: 0.6% had white lesions, 0.6% had red lesions, 0.3% had ulcerations or growth and 16.4% had leathery changes. Conclusions: The present study observed a high prevalence of precancerous lesions among the Narikurava tribe. The main reason for the high prevalence is attributed to tobacco and tobacco-related habits. Hence, cancer control activities should be prioritised. Designing a model to detect precancer and cancer early and to constantly monitor the detected cases in such populations is of utmost importance.

N-acetylneuraminic acid: A scrutinizing tool in oral squamous cell carcinoma diagnosis.

BACKGROUND: Oral cancer has one of the highest mortality rate among other malignancies. An attempt has been made to assess the genetic expression of a cell surface glycoprotein component - sialic acid released by the malignant cells which will reflect on the oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The aim of this study was to estimate and correlate the salivary and serum sialic acid levels in OSCC. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our case-control study, saliva and blood samples were obtained from Group 1 - 10 healthy controls, Group 2 - 12 well-differentiated OSCC, Group 3 - 7 moderately differentiated and 2 poorly differentiated OSCC. Serum and salivary total sialic acid levels were analyzed by Warren's thiobarbituric acid method and acidic ninhydrin method, respectively. The results were analyzed statistically by Student's t-test and Pearson's correlation coefficient (P ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: A significant difference in the serum and salivary sialic acid levels was observed between Group 1 and Group 3 (P = 0.01 and < 0.0001) and in salivary sialic acid between Group 2 and Group 3 (P = 0.02). A significant positive correlation was observed between salivary and serum sialic acid in Groups 2 and 3 together (P = 0.015). CONCLUSION: As the histopathological grade progresses, there is a marked increase in level of sialic acid. There is a significant positive correlation between serum and salivary sialic acid levels in OSCC. Further research with larger sample size along with grading and staging system may highlight its significance in OSCC.