Optical adjunctive aids in early detection of oral cancer – a review

Despite having advances in treatment, prognosis for patients with oral cancer remains poor. Early diagnosis and treatment remains key to improved patient survival. Traditional methods of screening oral malignancies involve a conventional oral examination with digital palpation. A number of optical aids have been developed to assist the clinician to detect abnormalities and in early diagnosis of oral cancer. This review will discuss the use of optical systems and highlight the role of optical imaging such as chemiluminescence, auto fluorescence, optical coherence imaging etc in early diagnosis.