Oncogene expression and oral cancer

Cancer of the oral cavity remains a major problem in the United States as well as in many other countries, some of which record as much as 30% of all their cancers to be in the oral region. Despite numerous advances in the fields of epidemiology and etiology, little is known of the molecular basis of oral cancer. Advances in the field of oncogenes have produced a tool to study the different stages of carcinogenesis, including transition from premalignant to malignant stages. These strategies have direct relevance to oral cancer where the premalignant stage is well defined. Preliminary studies into the expression and function of oncogenes suggest abnormalities including individual and multiple amplification of three or more types of these genes. This review briefly describes the concept of oncogenes, and their possible role in the development of neoplasia and specifically on studies in oral cancer.