Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics, 2025, Vol.13, No.2, 98-105 http://medscipublisher.com/index.php/cge 99 2 Overview of Oral Cancer 2.1 Incidence, pathological types, and clinical manifestations of oral cancer Oral cancer is one of the most common cancers in the world, affecting people's health. Although the mouth is easy to examine, many patients are already at an advanced stage when their cancer is detected, which makes treatment more difficult and reduces patient survival (Keshavarzi et al., 2017). The most common type is oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), which occurs in most cases. Cancer cells grow rapidly and often spread, especially in the lymph nodes (Boonstra et al., 2017). In real life, oral cancer can present itself in different ways. It may look like white or red patches, bumps, or sores that do not heal easily and bleed easily. Patients may also experience persistent pain and difficulty swallowing, and patients should also pay attention to changes in the way they speak. With the development of cancer, using advanced imaging tools, the tissue in the mouth can be seen to undergo chemical and structural changes (Fatakdawala et al., 2013; Pande et al., 2017). 2.2 Common diagnostic methods and their limitations Doctors usually diagnose oral cancer by looking in the mouth and taking a biopsy. Imaging tools, such as CT, MRI, or PET, are effective for advanced cancer but are less effective at detecting cancer early (Keshavarzi et al., 2017). Seeing with the eyes alone is not always accurate, so diagnosis often comes too late (Malik et al., 2016). Several new imaging techniques, fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) and optical coherence Tomography (OCT), have helped improve diagnosis rates. These tools provide chemical and structural details of tissues that help physicians distinguish between harmless, pre-cancerous, and pre-cancerous areas (Pande et al., 2017; Coole et al., 2023). But the new tools are not yet widely available because they can be expensive. Therefore, there is still a need for simpler and cheaper ways to perform regular checkups (Quang et al., 2017). 2.3 Importance of early diagnosis in oral cancer treatment Early detection of oral cancer is very important for patients. When detected early, less severe treatments can be used, and patients' chances of survival are greatly improved (Keshavarzi et al., 2017). Early stage cancer is less damaging to patients and usually does not require major surgery, nor does it require much chemotherapy or radiation (Pierce et al., 2017). Using the new imaging technology, doctors can spot problems faster and more accurately. These techniques do not harm the patient and can see suspicious areas in the mouth, allowing the doctor to decide whether to take a sample and determine how to treat it (Quang et al., 2017; Coole et al., 2023). These tools allow doctors to make early judgments, help patients get better care, and improve patient cure rates. 3 Fundamentals of Multimodal Imaging Techniques in Oral Cancer Diagnosis 3.1 Define multimodal imaging techniques and their core principles Multimodal imaging is a combination of several different imaging methods that can more accurately diagnose disease. Oral cancer is particularly well suited to this multi-modal imaging approach, which provides structural, functional and even molecular level information about the tissue from different perspectives, giving doctors a more complete picture of the state of the tissue. The core idea of multimodal imaging technology is to combine and complement the advantages and disadvantages of imaging methods in order to better detect diseases (Pande et al., 2016; Thapa et al., 2022; Coole et al., 2023). In the diagnosis of oral cancer, multimodal imaging may use several optical imaging techniques, such as fluorescence lifetime imaging, optical coherence tomography and photoacoustic imaging. These methods can provide information about the chemical composition, morphological structure and physiological function of tissues. This information is very helpful for doctors to judge the condition and make treatment plans. Multimodal imaging also enables real-time, non-invasive testing that can detect cancer earlier and guide biopsies more accurately (Pierce et al., 2012; Fatakdawala et al., 2013; Pal et al., 2020).
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