Taciturn role of oral microbiome in oral squamous cell carcinoma: The hidden truth – A systematic review

Abstract

Background: Dysbiosis of the oral microbiome plays a significant role in oral cancer. Though a plethora of microorganisms inhabit the oral cavity, there exists preponderance a few microflora in the oral cavity in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) compared to health. Objectives: This study was designed to systematically review the previously published literature on the alterations in the oral microbiome in health and disease. Materials and Methods: Online databases were searched using the keywords “Oral cancer and human microbiome” or “Cancer or human microbiome” or “shift in microbes.” Initial search resulted in 2691 research articles published from 2011 to July 2021. On further scrutiny, 20 full-length original articles in English language were included. Results: Relative abundance of yeast-like fungi (Candida albicans), anaerobic bacteria (Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis) and human papilloma virus in OSCC. Conclusion: These observations ascertain the association between the alterations in oral microbiome and OSCC. Furthermore, modulation of a patient's oral microflora could plausibly facilitate prognosis and improve treatment outcomes.

Keywords

• candida
• carcinogenesis
• dysbiosis
• microbiome
• oral cancer
• shift in microbiome