Oral cancer is the most common malignant epithelial neoplasm affecting the mouth. More than 90% is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) (Table 1)..

The most important feature of ulceration is whether the ulcer is single, multiple or persistent..

Ulceration is a breach in the oral epithelium, which typically exposes nerve endings in the underlying lamina propria, resulting in pain or soreness, especially on eating spicy foods or citrus fruits....

The most important risk factors for oral complications of cancer therapy are pre-existent oral or dental disease and poor care after cancer therapy..

Radiotherapy (RT) in high doses involving the oral cavity, maxilla, mandible and salivary glands may result in several undesired reactions, of which osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is probably the worst. ORN...

Oral cancer and its treatment can cause a variety of oral problems. Surgery and scarring may mutilate tissues – which can hamper function and cleaning the teeth. The patient may have complicated...

Saliva is essential to oral health. Low salivary flow (hyposalivation) causes lack of mucosal wetting, lubrication and defences, which affects many functions, and can predispose to infections..

RT is most often administered in small fractions over several weeks and to a localized area. Radiation-induced mucositis is invariable within the radiated field of mucosa and typically begins at...

Cancer pain may arise from tumour invasion (especially where nerves are infiltrated), ulceration and infection, and the effects of diagnostic or therapeutic procedures (surgery, RT or CTX). Cancer...

X-rays were the first form of photon radiation to be used to treat cancer. The higher the energy of the x-ray beam, the deeper x-rays penetrate the target. Radiotherapy (RT) is an extremely effective...

Surgery was the original treatment developed for oral cancer. It is still widely carried out, in order to achieve more than one of the following goals..

Oral cancer and its management are associated with tremendous physical, emotional and psychosocial disruption, as discussed in Article 8. This affects patients' ‘quality of life’ (QoL) and impacts not...

Several key skills underlie communication with all patients (Table 2)..

Conventional oral exploration (visual and palpation examination) constitutes the current gold standard for oral cancer screening, while biopsy and histopathological examination are indispensable for...