PI3K-Akt expression in dysplastic oral lesions and implications for recurrence and malignant transformation University of Dundee

Programme Structure

• The natural history of oral cancer is only partly understood, with reports of “it is clear that oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is preceded by changes in the oral mucosa, but the extent or nature of these changes is uncertain” (Speight & Warnakulasuriya 2010). 

• However, it was also noted that “only about 5% of these lesions will progress to malignancy and although some clinical features are associated with higher risk (e.g. non-homogenous, speckled or red lesions) there are still no reliable ways to predict which individuals or lesions will develop OSCC” (Speight & Warnakulasuriya 2010). 
• The difficulty in interpreting some of the published work on malignant progression is that many studies do not actually investigate biopsy proven dysplasias but leucoplakias and therefore these may not actually be potentially malignant.