Role of Free Radicals in Oral Carcinogenesis: A Review
T. Manigandan, Sarumathi, A. Amudhan

1Sree Balaji Dental College and Hospital, Bharath University, Chennai, India

Abstract: Free radical is a molecule or molecular fragment containing an unpaired electron in the valence shell (i.e. radical) and capable of existing independently (i.e. free)1. They are unstable, short lived and highly reactive. Oxidative stress is increased and antioxidant defences are compromised in patients with oral cavity cancer. Free radical has a definitive role in cacinogenesis which can also serve as a Potential biomarker for measuring oxidative stress levels in saliva and serum of patients affected with oral cancer and in preventing the possibilities of turning of potentially pre-malignant disorders into malignant disorders. It is necessary to maintain a balance between free radicals and antioxidant defensive mechanism, to prevent the outbreak of Oral Cancer.  

Keywords: Free radical; oral cancer; Carcinogenesis; biomarker; reactive oxygen species; reactive nitrogen species

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