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Review
. 2025 Mar 25;17(7):1094.
doi: 10.3390/cancers17071094.

Beyond Genetics: Exploring Lifestyle, Microbiome, and Social Determinants in Oral Cancer Development

Anil Menon  1 , Vimi S Mutalik  2 , Yongqiang Chen  3 , Spd Ponamgi  4 , Sujatha Peela  5 , Robert J Schroth  1 , Saeid Ghavami  6 , Prashen Chelikani  3
Affiliations
Review

Beyond Genetics: Exploring Lifestyle, Microbiome, and Social Determinants in Oral Cancer Development

Anil Menon et al. Cancers (Basel). .

Abstract

Oral cancer refers to cancers originating in the oral cavity and oropharyngeal regions. It is the 16th most prevalent cancer and the sixth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. However, the mechanisms of its progression are still being understood, and interventions to provide early diagnosis need to be improved. More studies have recently been conducted on oral cancer, and many reviews have summarized the findings in this field, focusing on individual factors. However, few review articles have evaluated the combinational impacts of different factors on oral cancer. This review aimed to provide an overview of the combinational effects of three extracellular factors, including lifestyle habits, oral microbiome, and socioeconomic factors, on oral cancer progression. Oral cancer is differentially affected by lifestyle habits; high-sugar diets, processed foods, alcohol, smoking, and possibly sleep disorders benefit its progression, whereas eating natural diets, such as fruits, vegetables, fish, and garlic, drinking tea or coffee, and physical exercise can combat it. The oral microbiome could suppress or promote oral cancer progression. Low socioeconomic status can impact oral cancer development. Furthermore, crosstalk among these three factors affects oral cancer progression. This review has limitations in not including all oral cancer-affecting factors and all important publications. More focus should be placed on the combinational effects of multiple factors on oral cancer progression and treatment. The findings in this study could update researchers on the landscape of oral cancer progression and help formulate approaches to promote oral cancer prevention and treatment.

Keywords: coffee; diet; fish; lifestyle; microbiome; mouth; oral cancer; oral squamous cell carcinoma; socioeconomic status; tea.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Oral cancer progression is affected by different factors. EGFR, epidermal growth factor receptor; HER2, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2; VEGFR, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor; HIF-1α, hypoxia-inducible factor-1α; PD-L1, programmed cell death ligand 1; M2-TAMs, M2-like tumor-associated macrophages.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Oral cancer progression is affected by lifestyle habits.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Oral cancer is affected by crosstalk among different factors.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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