Telomerase Activity in Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma

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Abstract
RESIDUAL AND recurrent disease following conventional treatment for squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity is a continuous problem despite improvements in surgical technique and radiotherapy during the past 2 decades. When all stages are included, the 5-year survival rate for common oral cavity subsites such as the tongue and floor of mouth is approximately 65%.1,2 Concurrent with recent advances has been a greater general understanding of the molecular events involved in the development of head and neck cancer. This has led to the development of a progression model to describe some of the genetic changes that may be involved.3,4 Identification of a factor that consistently distinguishes cancer cells from normal cells could have major implications for early diagnosis, analysis of surgical resection margins, and management of patients with head and neck cancer, including patients with cancer of the oral cavity.