Chapter 3 - Conspectus on Nanotechnology in Oral Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

Oral cancer (OC) is one of the most common cancers for both sexes worldwide. Early diagnosis and timely and appropriate treatment remains the most effective way to control OC. Although conventional diagnostic and treatment strategies for OC have improved over the past few decades, still these strategies remain far from optimal. Nanotechnology is a cutting edge and rapidly evolving technology in medicine. Multimodal nanoparticles have the potential to be used as diagnostic, as well as therapeutic agents in OC. Nanodiagnostics promise increased sensitivity, multiplexing capabilities, and reduced cost for screening and imaging of OC. Nanotechnology-based systems and devices can detect OC cells, identify cancer signatures, and provide targeted delivery of anticancer therapeutics to tumor cells. Though the use of nanoparticles for early detection and treatment of OC are in preclinical stages, its applications have the potential to replace highly invasive conventional methods for the detection and treatment of OC. Thus, nanotechnology is likely to play a significant role in OC control by increasing sensitivity in the early detection of OC, offering opportunities for the development of therapies and devices to reduce toxicity, and enhancing the efficacy and delivery of treatment. A conspectus on the emerging implications of these platforms for advances in OC diagnostics and therapeutics and future perspectives forms the basis of this chapter.