Importance of Salivary Biomarkers in the Detection of Oral Cancer (Review Article)

Aim: This article aims to provide a brief overview of various salivary biomarkers and their importance in early detection of oral cancer. Background: The tumor markers are playing an important role in cancer detection and management. The cancer biomarker is produced either by the tumor itself or by other tissues, and consider as molecular signature indicating the physiologic and pathologic changes in a particular tissue or cell during the development of cancer. The direct contact between the saliva and the oral cancer lesions makes the salivary biomarkers the best sensitive and specific test for primairy screening method in diagnosis, staging and follow-up of oral cancer. Materials and Methods: Studies were conducted by searching for reviews in salivary biomarkers of oral malignancy in the past 5 years in Google Scholar, Medline, and PubMed. The references were also crosschecked for the relation of salivary biomarkers and oral cancer. Articles were identified and subjected to qualitative and quantitative analyses. Review Results: More than 100 potential Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) salivary biomarkers have been reported in the literature. The proteomics analysis of saliva proteins is significance for early diagnosis of Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Saliva contains reliable amounts of cells, mainly exfoliated from the oral cancer, which can provide early diagnosis and detection of oral malignancy. Conclusion: The goal of cancer screening is to detect tumor at an early stage, when treatment is most likely to be successful. Salivary biomarkers will help to differentiate patients who clinically have no detectable disease but are potential candidates for oral cancer.