Preface

#### *"The eyes do not see what the mind does not know"*

Oral cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases worldwide with significant morbidity and mortality. The term oral cancer is a broad term that encompasses malignancies arising from epithelial tissue, mesenchymal tissue, and salivary glands, to name a few. The complex nature of the head and neck anatomy poses a challenge to understanding the various malignancies occurring in this region and thereby challenging the treatment and prognosis of oral cancer. Despite technological advancements in the 21st century, there is little improvement in the five-year survival rate and post-treatment quality of life. The current challenge facing the scientific community and clinicians is to identify means of early diagnosis of oral cancers and improve treatment strategies that could minimize morbidity and improve quality of life. Various technologies for early diagnosis such as identification of tumor biomarkers in saliva and serum, determination of genetic and molecular alterations to predict the behavior and prognosis of oral cancer, implementation of newer methods of treatment such as targeted therapy, immunotherapy, and so on, are being evaluated constantly for clinical application in oral cancer therapy. This book reviews the current concepts concerning oral cancer as well as future perspectives directed towards understanding scientific advancements in managing the disease.

Chapters cover a range of topics such as prevention of oral cancer in hookah smokers, novel methods of cancer detection using salivary exosomes, the role of cytopathology in intra-oral salivary gland tumors, precision personalized medicine, sentinel lymph node biopsy, and applications of various molecular markers and radiotherapy in the treatment of oral cancers.

> **Dr. Gokul Sridharan MDS, PhD, PGD (Medical Law and Ethics)** Associate Professor, Department of Oral Pathology and Microbiology, Dr. G. D. Pol Foundation YMT Dental College and Hospital, Mumbai, India
