About this Research Topic
Oral cancer is one of the major forms of cancer affecting people worldwide with significant morbidity and mortality. Despite technological advancements, the overall five year survival rate remains exceedingly low. Possessing a multifactorial etiology, oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) arises de-novo or more commonly from a group of precursor lesions collectively referred to as oral pre-malignant lesions or leucoplakias. The major concerns related to oral squamous cell carcinoma are late-stage diagnosis, heterogeneity of the tumor, and recurrence. Currently, tissue biopsy followed by histopathological analysis is the gold standard in the diagnosis of OSCC. The current standardized diagnostic regime for head and neck cancers (HNC) is tissue biopsy which is invasive, potentially risky for the patient, and fails to determine the thorough tumor dynamics and heterogeneity thus affecting the accuracy of assessment. Therefore, it is becoming imperative to identify biomarkers using the ‘liquid biopsy approach’ that focuses on detecting tumor-derived components in circulatory fluids for the diagnosis, screening and prognosis of cancer.
The objective of this Research Topic is to highlight the role of liquid biopsy in the identification of biomarkers that have a significant role in early diagnosis and risk prediction using newer technologies with potential clinical applications. Liquid biopsy obtained from samples of body fluids offers a unique opportunity in identification of cancer related materials such as circulating tumor cells, cell free DNA, RNA, proteins, and extracellular vesicles in a non-invasive manner. Further, the use of liquid biopsies is practical for real-time patient monitoring and analyzing treatment response. Moreover, liquid biopsy may better reflect the genetic profile of all tumor subclones present in a patient, unlike tissue biopsies which are obtained from only one tumor region. An important epoch of cancer treatment currently explored is precision medicine which involves developing treatment strategies centered around characteristics that make each individual patient's cancer unique. The success of personalized cancer treatment requires constant and real-time evaluation of the underlying molecular alterations for which liquid biopsy may have a major contribution.
Scientific evidence pertaining to the identification of tumor biomarkers in oral cancer using liquid biopsy is limited especially in early diagnostics. Hence, it is important to explore new research avenues attempting to characterize and quantify disease-specific biomarkers which may have a potential role in early diagnosis and cancer management. This Research Topic focuses on the identification of molecular biomarkers in various human samples such as serum/plasma, saliva etc. which can be further evaluated for targeted therapy. The contributors are encouraged to submit systematic reviews and original research manuscripts which can focus on but not limited to identification of circulating tumor cells, DNA, RNA, genomics, epigenetics, metabolites and extracellular vesicles in oral cancer and oral pre-cancerous lesions.
The objective of this Research Topic is to highlight the role of liquid biopsy in the identification of biomarkers that have a significant role in early diagnosis and risk prediction using newer technologies with potential clinical applications. Liquid biopsy obtained from samples of body fluids offers a unique opportunity in identification of cancer related materials such as circulating tumor cells, cell free DNA, RNA, proteins, and extracellular vesicles in a non-invasive manner. Further, the use of liquid biopsies is practical for real-time patient monitoring and analyzing treatment response. Moreover, liquid biopsy may better reflect the genetic profile of all tumor subclones present in a patient, unlike tissue biopsies which are obtained from only one tumor region. An important epoch of cancer treatment currently explored is precision medicine which involves developing treatment strategies centered around characteristics that make each individual patient's cancer unique. The success of personalized cancer treatment requires constant and real-time evaluation of the underlying molecular alterations for which liquid biopsy may have a major contribution.
Scientific evidence pertaining to the identification of tumor biomarkers in oral cancer using liquid biopsy is limited especially in early diagnostics. Hence, it is important to explore new research avenues attempting to characterize and quantify disease-specific biomarkers which may have a potential role in early diagnosis and cancer management. This Research Topic focuses on the identification of molecular biomarkers in various human samples such as serum/plasma, saliva etc. which can be further evaluated for targeted therapy. The contributors are encouraged to submit systematic reviews and original research manuscripts which can focus on but not limited to identification of circulating tumor cells, DNA, RNA, genomics, epigenetics, metabolites and extracellular vesicles in oral cancer and oral pre-cancerous lesions.
Keywords: Liquid biopsy, Personalized medicine, Genomics, Oral cancer, Oral pre-cancer, Salivary diagnostics
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