ABSTRACT

Primary oral cancer, which is predominantly (>90%) oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), is the eighth most common cancer worldwide (Petersen 2003). ere is considerable global variation in incidence of OSCC; in India, it is the most common cancer diagnosis in men and cases are increasing, whereas in Western countries, there is a recent small dip in incidence commensurate with a reduction in smoking (Warnakulasuriya 2009). However, there has been little improvement in overall survival in the last 50  years (Chaturvedi et  al. 2013).