Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42712484›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in oral health2026

Tissue-based genomic instability markers for predicting malignant transformation in oral leukoplakia and proliferative verrucous leukoplakia: a systematic review.

Bernadette Quah, Yang Zhang, Rahul Harshad Nagadia, N Gopalakrishna Iyer, Margaret Sällberg Chen, Nicholas Brian Shannon

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in oral health, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Bernadette QuahDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Yang ZhangDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, National University Centre for Oral Health, Singapore, Singapore.
Rahul Harshad NagadiaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Huddinge, Sweden.
N Gopalakrishna IyerDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Margaret Sällberg ChenDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Faculty of Dentistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.
Nicholas Brian ShannonDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, National Cancer Centre Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Objectives: Although several biomarkers have been described for predicting malignant transformation in oral leukoplakias (OLs) and proliferative verrucous leukoplakias (PVLs), no systematic review has comprehensively evaluated tissue-based genomic instability markers. This review aimed to evaluate the evidence for these markers and their potential role in biomarker panel development. Methods: A systematic review across PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library was performed to identify studies evaluating the differences in tissue-based genomic markers between OL and PVL patients with and without malignant transformation. Results: 34 observational studies comprising 3,237 patients were included, and genomic aberrations were categorised into DNA-level, chromosomal, and gene-specific alterations. For studies on OLs, DNA-level and chromosomal markers for which individual studies reported associations with malignant transformation included aneuploidy, impaired DNA repair capacity, loss of heterozygosity, chromosomal instability, and copy number alterations. Multiple gene-specific alterations also showed associations (e.g., TP53, MKI67, FGFR1), but findings varied across studies. The genomic markers of PVLs differed substantially, with fewer consistent predictors found. No meta-analysis was performed as all included studies were observational. Conclusions: Genomic instability across multiple levels contributes to malignant transformation, and represents a promising biological framework for predicting malignant transformation for OLs. While no single marker reliably demonstrates sufficient predictive performance, the integration of complementary genomic alterations with clinical and histopathological risk factors may provide a basis for the development of robust multi-marker panels. Future prospective studies using standardised detection methods and multivariable prediction models are required before clinical implementation. Systematic Review Registration: identifier CRD42024585830.

Indexed as

carcinomagenetic markersgenomic instabilityleukoplakiaoraloral cancersquamous cell

Identifiers

PMID42712484
PMCPMC13549864

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.