Development of Indian Oral Cancer Risk Score and Index

Abstract

An Indian oral cancer risk score can help in many aspects to detect this disease earlier and preventing it's progression from various dimensions in a large scale. Keeping in view the unavailability of any oral cancer risk score and index in Indian populations, in the present study a scoring technique was developed for the same. The index was developed from the data obtained from 354 patients attending to the Kusum Devi SunderlalDugar Jain Dental College & Hospital, Kolkata, and Bharatsevashram Hospital.The index was prepared with a series of questionnaire to the patients, and taking proper personal,family, medical, dental, drug andhabit history, and also performing clinical examinations. The risk factors were also interpreted in details. Depending on these data the Indian oral cancer risk score was calculated (total maximum risk score is 42 as per index formula), and then this risk score was validated by judging on 296 patients. The risk was further graded into 3 categories: (a) individuals with low risk, (b) individuals with moderate risk, (c) individuals with high risk. Result revealed that if the total score of a patient is 0-14 then patient is having low risk of developing oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Similarly, if the score is between 15-28 then the risk is moderate and if the total score came between 29-42 then the patient is under high risk of developing oral malignancy.This scoring and indexing will be helpful to segregate a large population into three categories and that in turn will help to prevent this deadly disease. This Indian oral cancer risk score and index is important for individual and community screening by asking set of questions and a simple routine clinical examination.The patient's proforma will be helpful in recording the data required for calculation of the score and interpret it accordingly.