Testing of micronuclei and other nuclear alterations in oral mucosal cells as an alternative for early identification of oral cancer in smokers

Abstract

Micronuclei are structures made up of chromatid genetic material contained by a membrane, smaller than the main nucleus, and are usually formed around the karyotheca or scattered along the cytoplasm of cells. There are several advantages of the micronucleus test for the diagnosis of squamous cell carcinomas in chronic tobacco users in its various forms, one of the main ones being the possibility of early detection of genetic damage in the oral mucosa, even before the manifestation of any other clinical and histological signs that evidence carcinoma, in addition to being a non-invasive test; painless; low-cost; with high specificity and sensitivity and high predictive value.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2023.007-011