Association between Oral Cancer and Diet: An Update.

Oral cancer, included within head and neck cancer, is the sixth most common malignant neoplasm in the world. The main etiological factors are tobacco and alcohol, although currently, diet is considered an important determinant for its development. Several dietary nutrients have specific mechanisms of action, contributing to both protection against cancer and increasing the risk for development, growth, and spread. Foods such as fruits, vegetables, curcumin, and green tea can reduce the risk of oral cancer, while the so-called pro-inflammatory diet, rich in red meat and fried foods, can enhance the risk of occurrence. Dietary factors with a protective effect show different mechanisms that complement and overlap with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-proliferative effects. The main limitation of in vivo studies is the complexity of isolating the effects related to each one of the nutrients and the relationship with other possible etiological mechanisms. On the contrary, in vitro studies allow determining the specific mechanisms of action of some of the dietary compounds. In conclusion, and despite research limitations, the beneficial effects of a diet rich in vegetables and fruits are attributed to different micronutrients that are also found in fish and animal products. These compounds show antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-proliferative properties that have a preventive role in the development of oral and other types of cancer.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma of tongue: Histological risk assessment. A pilot study

Background: More than 90% of malignant tumors diagnosed in the oral cavity are Oral Squamous Cell Carcinomas (OSCC) whose preferred location is the tongue. Classically, this disease has affected men preferentially, although recent studies suggest that trends are changing and the proportion of women with OSCC is increasing. In addition, the prevalence of oral cancer is also determined by some risk factors as alcohol consumption and to-bacco. Currently, the Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) classification is employed to defined tumor stage and based on this guide specific treatments are established. However, 5-year-survival does not exceed 50% of cases. The objective of this study is to determine whether a histological risk pattern indicative of higher recurrence might be present in T1-T2 tumors located in the anterior two thirds of the tongue. Material and Methods: Samples from 26 patients with OSCC were analyzed and histological risk pattern of recur-rent and non-recurrent tumors were compared. We have analyzed histological variables described in Anneroth and Brandwein-Gensler classifications. Additionally, we have also examined both clinical variables such as age, sex or comorbidities, as well as habits such as tobacco or alcohol consumption. Results: We found that sex (male) and keratinization degree (high or moderate) are directly related with OSCC recurrence. In fact, free illness time is lower in men and higher in those cases with minimal or no keratinization. Conclusions: Based on the variables analyzed, it has not been possible to establish a histological risk pattern that, complementary to the TNM classification, could have a predictive role in these early-stage tongue carcinomas

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Dolor orofacial en la clínica odontológica / Orofacial pain in the dental clinic

La mayor parte de las consultas odontológicas están relacionadas con dolores intraorales que afectan a estructuras dentarias, periodontales y mucosas. Aunque generalmente la causa originaria del dolor y la estructura afectada coinciden en la localización, en ocasiones el dolor orofacial y, particularmente, el dolor oral, es referido. Esto es, el dolor puede deberse a procesos de origen extraoral localizados fuera del territorio maxilofacial. De igual manera, determinados trastornos orales, como un desequilibrio oclusivo, pueden afectar también estructuras extraorales, ocasionando tensión y dolor en cuello, cabeza y espalda. La investigación en dolor orofacial es, sin embargo, una disciplina emergente en comparación con otras áreas anatómicas, quizás debido, en parte, a que el dolor tiende a remitir con el tiempo o con la sanación del tejido afectado (si hubiera una lesión). Sin embargo, la mitad de los pacientes con algún tipo de dolor orofacial lo sufre de manera crónica y, a diferencia del dolor agudo, remitente, el dolor crónico no es ya un síntoma, sino una patología de difícil manejo, con escasa o ninguna relación con los mecanismos que lo originaron. Además, la falta de una adecuada anamnesis y exploración clínica, nomenclaturas inapropiadas o la dificultad de diagnóstico, hacen complicado en ocasiones un óptimo abordaje terapéutico. La mayoría de las clasificaciones de dolor oral siguen atendiendo a la estructura anatómica afectada más que al propio mecanismo nociceptivo. Por otra parte, la etiología exacta de muchas algias denominadas atípicas o del síndrome de boca ardiente sigue siendo desconocida. Esta revisión pretende describir los principales motivos de consulta por dolor en la clínica dental, poniendo particular énfasis en el tipo de dolor desde el punto de vista de su mecanismo: nociceptivo, inflamatorio, neuropático, psicogénico o mixto

Most dental consultations are related to intraoral pain disorders affecting dental, periodontal and mucosal structures. Although the originating cause of pain and the anatomical structure frequently co-localise, orofacial pain and particularly oral pain are sometimes referred. That is, pain may be caused by extraoral processes out of the maxillofacial territory. Likely, some intraoral conditions such as an occlusal imbalance may also affect extraoral structures, leading to tension and pain on the neck, head, and back. Orofacial pain research is however an emerging discipline in comparison to other anatomical regions. This may be due, in part, to the fact that oral pain tends to recede over time or after tissue healing -in case there was an injury-. Notwithstanding, half of the patients reporting any sort of orofacial pain suffers chronically. And unlike acute receding pain, chronic pain is no longer a symptom, but a diffi cult-to-manage pathology, with scarce or none relation to the mechanisms that caused it. Moreover, the lack of appropriate anamnesis and clinical examinations, inaccurate pain syndrome nomenclatures or difficulty in diagnosis hamper sometimes an optimal therapeutic approach. Most oral pain classifications are still based on the affected anatomical structure rather than on the nociceptive mechanism itself. On the other hand, the precise aetiology of most of the so-called atypical algiae or the burning mouth syndrome is still unknown. The present review article aims to describe the main reasons for pain consultation at the dental clinic, with particular emphasis on the type of pain from a mechanistically point of view: nociceptive, inflammatory, neuropathic, psychogenic or mixed