ABSTRACT
The oral cavity extends from the mucosal surface of the lips to the junction of the hard and soft palate. It does not include the soft palate, uvula or tonsils, which form part of the oropharynx. Oral cavity cancer is the eighth most common cancer worldwide, with an estimated 350 000 cases arising annually. There is considerable geographical variation in the incidence of oral cancers worldwide, reflecting differing lifestyles and risk factor exposure. Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in India, with an age-adjusted incidence rate of 20 per 100 000. In Europe, there is significant variation reflecting the varying cultures and lifestyles, especially between eastern and western Europe. The majority of oral cancers do not originate from a preexisting lesion. The management of premalignant lesions is challenging, not least because of an inconsistency with nomenclature internationally but also because the natural history of these lesions remains unclear.
