METHODS: A total of 328 final-year dental students were trained across six cohorts. Three cohorts (175 students) received F2F training from the academic years 2016/2017 to 2018/2019, and the remaining three (153 students) underwent online training during the Covid-19 pandemic from 2019/2020 to 2021/2022. Participant scores were analysed using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, the Mann-Whitney test, Cohen's d effect size, and multiple linear regression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: We developed a web-interface, hosted on a web server to collect oral lesions images from international partners. Further, we developed a customised annotation tool, also a web-interface for systematic annotation of images to build a rich clinically labelled dataset. We evaluated the sensitivities comparing referral decisions through the annotation process with the clinical diagnosis of the lesions.

RESULTS: The image repository hosts 2474 images of oral lesions consisting of oral cancer, oral potentially malignant disorders and other oral lesions that were collected through MeMoSA® UPLOAD. Eight-hundred images were annotated by seven oral medicine specialists on MeMoSA® ANNOTATE, to mark the lesion and to collect clinical labels. The sensitivity in referral decision for all lesions that required a referral for cancer management/surveillance was moderate to high depending on the type of lesion (64.3%-100%).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A prospective study of 355 participants, including 280 with oral lesions/variants was conducted. Adults aged ≥18 treated at tertiary referral centres were included. Images of the oral cavity were taken using MeMoSA®. The identification of the presence of lesion/variant and referral decision made using MeMoSA® were compared to clinical oral examination, using kappa statistics for intra-rater agreement. Sensitivity, specificity, concordance and F1 score were computed. Images were reviewed by an off-site specialist and inter-rater agreement was evaluated. Images from sequential clinical visits were compared to evaluate observable changes in the lesions.

RESULTS: Kappa values comparing MeMoSA® with clinical oral examination in detecting a lesion and referral decision was 0.604 and 0.892, respectively. Sensitivity and specificity for referral decision were 94.0% and 95.5%. Concordance and F1 score were 94.9% and 93.3%, respectively. Inter-rater agreement for a referral decision was 0.825. Progression or regression of lesions were systematically documented using MeMoSA®.

METHOD: An electronic search to collate all the information on studies on homeobox gene expression in odontogenic lesions was carried out in four databases (PubMed, EBSCO host, Web of Science and Cochrane Library) with selected keywords. All papers which reported expression of homeobox genes in odontogenic lesions were considered.

RESULTS: A total of eleven (11) papers describing expression of homeobox genes in odontogenic lesions were identified. Methods of studies included next generation sequencing, microarray analysis, RT-PCR, Western blotting, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemistry. The homeobox reported in odontogenic lesions includes LHX8 and DLX3 in odontoma; PITX2, MSX1, MSX2, DLX, DLX2, DLX3, DLX4, DLX5, DLX6, ISL1, OCT4 and HOX C in ameloblastoma; OCT4 in adenomatoid odontogenic tumour; PITX2 and MSX2 in primordial odontogenic tumour; PAX9 and BARX1 in odontogenic keratocyst; PITX2, ZEB1 and MEIS2 in ameloblastic carcinoma while there is absence of DLX2, DLX3 and MSX2 in clear cell odontogenic carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Wistar rats were divided into three groups: T4 group (4-week cigarette smoke exposure), T8 group (8-week cigarette smoke exposure), and control group, which was not exposed to cigarette smoke. The oropharyngeal tissue of the rats from each group was examined histopathologically to count the number of apoptotic cells, and then the blood serum was made to measure the MDA level.

STATISTICAL ANALYSIS:  Bonferroni test was performed to see the differences in each group for MDA level. While the data from tissue apoptosis were analyzed using Mann-Whitney U test for the significance. All data were considered significant if p < 0.05.

METHODS: A mixed-methods approach was employed triangulating findings from a survey and focus groups. The survey was conducted among seven representative members of the Asia Pacific Oral Cancer Network (APOCNET) across six countries. Focus groups were conducted to gain deeper insights into the findings of the survey.

RESULTS: The identified barriers were a lack of national cancer control strategies and cancer registries and the limited availability of trained health care professionals. Overcoming these challenges in the Asia Pacific region where resources are scarce will require collaborative partnerships in data collection and novel approaches for continuous professional training including eLearning. Further, to overcome the lack of trained health care professionals, innovative approaches to the management of oral potentially malignant lesions and oral cancer including telemedicine were suggested.

MATERIALS AND METHODS:  Thirty Rattus norvegicus will be exposed to two kinds of cigarette smoke by a smoking pump for 4 and 8 weeks. The tongues were collected to analyze the number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and plasma cells with hematoxylin-eosin. The MMP-9 expression was similarly analyzed with immunohistochemical staining and then compared with the control group.

RESULTS:  The number of macrophages, lymphocytes, and MMP-9 expression was higher in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure compared to the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure and the control group (p < 0.000). The number of plasma cell did not differ in the 8-week cigarette smoke exposure from that of the control group (p > 0.05). The number of plasma cells in the tongue tissue during the 4-week cigarette smoke exposure was not determined.

METHODS: Two villages were selected as the sampling frame based on prevalence of tobacco and betel quid chewing habit. Respondents were asked to check their mouth for presence of lesion or abnormalities. Education on oral cancer, including MSE, was provided. Subsequently, respondents were asked to perform MSE. Finally, a clinical oral examination (COE) was done by a specialist and the presence of oral mucosal lesions was recorded.

RESULTS: Almost 64.5 percent of respondents exhibited high levels of difficulty and low mucosal visualization and retracting ability, whereas 3.0 percent demonstrated high attention level when performing MSE. Prevalence of oral mucosal lesions was 59.0 percent, whereas the prevalence of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) was 9.0 percent. Detection of oral lesions by respondents using MSE was lower than detection by the gold standard. Sensitivity and specificity of MSE for detection of all types of lesions were 8.6 and 95.0 percent respectively. When analyzing each lesion type separately, MSE was found to be most sensitive in detection of swellings (10.0 percent), and most specific in identifying white lesions (97.8 percent). For detection of OPMDs, although specificity was high (98.9 percent), sensitivity (0 percent), and +LR (0) was poor.

METHODS: This retrospective case-control study involves 790 cases of cancers of the oral cavity and 450 controls presenting with non-malignant oral diseases, recruited from seven hospital-based centres nationwide. Data on risk habits (smoking, drinking, chewing) were obtained using a structured questionnaire via face-to-face interviews. Multiple logistic regression was used to determine association between risk habits and oral cancer risk; chi-square test was used to assess association between risk habits and ethnicity. Population attributable risks were calculated for all habits.

RESULTS: Except for alcohol consumption, increased risk was observed for all habits; the highest risk was for smoking + chewing + drinking (aOR 22.37 95% CI 5.06, 98.95). Significant ethnic differences were observed in the practice of habits. The most common habit among Malays was smoking (24.2%); smoking + drinking were most common among Chinese (16.8%), whereas chewing was the most prevalent among Indians (45.2%) and Indigenous people (24.8%). Cessation of chewing, smoking and drinking is estimated to reduce cancer incidence by 22.6%, 8.5% and 6.9%, respectively.

Objective: To investigate the validity and pattern of DSM-5-defined BQ use disorder (BUD) and its association with oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) among Asian populations.

Design, Setting, and Participants: In-person interviews were conducted from January 1, 2009, to February 28, 2010, among a random sample of 8922 noninstitutionalized adults from the Asian Betel-quid Consortium study, an Asian representative survey of 6 BQ-endemic populations. Statistical analysis was performed from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2016.

Main Outcomes and Measures: Participants were evaluated for BUD using DSM-5 criteria for substance use disorder and for OPMD using a clinical oral examination. Current users of BQ with 0 to 1 symptoms were classified as having no BUD, those with 2 to 3 symptoms as having mild BUD, those with 4 to 5 symptoms as having moderate BUD, and those with 6 or more symptoms as having severe BUD.