MEDLINE contains well over 14,000 papers revealed by a search using keywords 'oral squamous cell cancer' or 'oral squamous cell carcinoma', over 27,000 using 'oral carcinoma' and over 48,000 using the keywords 'oral cancer'. It is difficult to see how clinicians could keep abreast of such a subject. This paper attempts to help by providing an overview of the aetiopathogenesis of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), discussing changes in epidemiology and increasing awareness of the wide range of risk factors, emphasising the genetic background to cancer susceptibility and the genetic changes associated with progression to OSCC and highlighting clinical implications.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma: overview of current understanding of aetiopathogenesis and clinical implications.

Betel nut (BN), betel quid (BQ) and products derived from them are widely used as a socially endorsed masticatory product The addictive nature of BN/BQ has resulted in its widespread usage making it the fourth most abused substance by humans Progressively, several additives, including chewing tobacco, got added to simple BN preparations This addictive practice has been shown to have strong etiological correlation with human susceptibility to cancer, particularly oral and oropharyngeal cancers

The PUBMED database was searched to retrieve all relevant published studies in English on BN and BQ, and its association with oral and oropharyngeal cancers Only complete studies directly dealing with BN/BQ induced carcinogenesis using statistically valid and acceptable sample size were analyzed Additional relevant information available from other sources was also considered

This systematic review attempts to put in perspective the consequences of this widespread habit of BN/BQ mastication, practiced by approximately 10% of the world population, on oral cancer with a clinical perspective BN/BQ mastication seems to be significantly associated with susceptibility to oral and oropharyngeal cancers Addition of tobacco to BN has been found to only marginally increase the cancer risk Despite the widespread usage of BN/BQ and its strong association with human susceptibility to cancer, no serious strategy seems to exist to control this habit The review, therefore, also looks at various preventive efforts being made by governments and highlights the multifaceted intervention strategies required to mitigate and/or control the habit of BN/BQ mastication

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Association of betel nut with carcinogenesis: revisit with a clinical perspective.

Betel quid and areca nut are known risk factors for many oral and oesophageal cancers, and their use is highly prevalent in the Asia-Pacific region. Additionally, betel quid and areca nut are associated with health effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, gastrointestinal, metabolic, respiratory, and reproductive systems. Unlike tobacco, for which the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control provides evidence-based policies for reducing tobacco use, no global policy exists for the control of betel quid and areca nut use. Multidisciplinary research is needed to address this neglected global public health emergency and to mobilise efforts to control betel quid and areca nut use. In addition, future research is needed to advance our understanding of the basic biology, mechanisms, and epidemiology of betel quid and areca nut use, to advance possible prevention and cessation programmes for betel quid and areca nut users, and to design evidence-based screening and early diagnosis programmes to address the growing burden of cancers that are associated with use.

Defining a global research and policy agenda for betel quid and areca nut.

Genistein induces G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis of human ovarian cancer cells via activation of DNA damage checkpoint pathways

Context: Arecoline is an effective constituent of Areca catechu L. (Arecaceae) with various pharmacological effects. However, investigations also revealed that long use of arecoline could arouse so...

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.3109/13880209.2016.1160251

Yu-Sen Liu

Papers

Arecoline, a major alkaloid of areca nut, inhibits p53, represses DNA repair, and triggers DNA damage response in human epithelial cells