Tobacco has been variously hailed as a gift from the gods, a miraculous cure-all for lifes physical ills, a solace to the lonely soldier or sailor, a filthy habit, a corrupting addiction, and the greatest disease-producing product known to man. Tobacco in any form is a major independent risk factor for the development of oral and pharyngeal cancer and other malignancies of the upper aerodigestive tract. Tobacco contains several distinct compounds, some of which are capable of inducing mutagenesis, and facilitate tumorigenesis. It is believed that they exert their action by damaging the DNA...

This book reviews the basic chemistry of free radical formation in the body, the consequences of free radical induced tissue damage, and the function of antioxidant defence systems, with particular reference to their role in oral disease and oral cancer.As part of a healthy lifestyle and a well-balanced, wholesome diet, antioxidant supplementation is now being recognized as an important means of improving free radical protection. Additional work aimed at investigating the source, function, and regulation of antioxidants may help determine new therapeutic strategies based upon these apparent...

Metastasis is an extraordinarily complex process that remains to be a major problem in the management of cancer. Metastasis, which is a process in which primary tumors disseminate to secondary organs, is a major cause of cancer mortality. Metastatic tumors to the head and neck region are generally rare and they account for less than 1% of the metastatic tumors occurring in the body. Metastasis to soft tissue of the oral cavity is much rarer than jaw bones, because of rarity, metastatic tumors in the oral region are challenging for diagnosis. Although the oral cavity is not a common site for...