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Review
. 2023 May 3;12(9):3264.
doi: 10.3390/jcm12093264.

Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Risk Factors: State of the Art

Lara Nokovitch  1 , Charles Maquet  1 , Frédéric Crampon  1 , Ihsène Taihi  2   3 , Lise-Marie Roussel  4   5 , Rais Obongo  4   5 , François Virard  6   7 , Béatrice Fervers  8   9 , Sophie Deneuve  1   5   10
Affiliations
Review

Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma Risk Factors: State of the Art

Lara Nokovitch et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Head and neck (HN) squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) originate from the epithelial cells of the mucosal linings of the upper aerodigestive tract, which includes the oral cavity, the pharynx, the larynx, and the sinonasal cavities. There are many associated risk factors, including alcohol drinking coupled with tobacco use, which accounts for 70% to 80% of HNSCCs. Human papilloma virus (HPV) is another independent risk factor for oropharyngeal SCC, but it is only a minor contributor to oral cavity SCC (OSCC). Betel quid chewing is also an established risk factor in southeast Asian countries. However, OSCC, and especially oral tongue cancer, incidence has been reported to be increasing in several countries, suggesting risk factors that have not been identified yet. This review summarizes the established risk factors for oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas and examines other undemonstrated risk factors for HNSCC.

Keywords: IARC; occupational exposure; oral cancer; risk factor; squamous cell carcinoma.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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