The association of Candida with oral cancer.
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The functional role of Candida albicans virulence factors in promoting oral carcinogenesis.
IRAS ID
234402
Contact name
Selvam Thavaraj
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Duration of Study in the UK
9 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Oral cancer is the 10th most common cancer globally with approximately 530,000 new cases annually and accounts for 3.8% of all newly diagnosed cancers worldwide. In 2012, there were approximately 292,000 deaths worldwide attributed to mouth cancer and as such, fewer than 50% of patients diagnosed with this disease survive beyond 5 years following diagnosis. However, survival is dependent on how early the cancer is diagnosed and treated. Oral cancer generally develops following stepwise progression that may be visible clinically by direct visualisation in the mouth and/or microscopically following biopsy. Clinically, a precancerous lesion in the mouth may be visible as a white and/or red patch. Microscopically, precancerous oral tissues display specific morphological changes termed ‘dysplasia’ which is graded as mild, moderate or severe according to strict criteria. Greater degrees of dysplasia are usually indicative of a greater likelihood of the lesion developing into cancer. Preventative and interventional measures at precancerous stages or the early stages of oral cancer is known to improve prognosis.
Tobacco smoking and alcohol consumption are well established main causative factors for oral cancer. Additionally, there has long been a reported association between bacterial, viral and fungal infection with the development of this disease. One such fungus, Candida albicans, and related species, has been reported to be associated with oral cancer. However, it is not known if a dysplastic environment favours the colonisation of this fungus or whether infection by Candida directly leads to a precancerous state of the oral tissue. Our group has recently identified potential molecular pathways that may implicate a causative role for Candida in oral cancer and this study seeks to retrospectively validate laboratory findings in archived patient samples. The results of our study will inform likely preventative and therapeutic strategies to reduce the worldwide burden of oral cancer.
REC name
London - Fulham Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0321
Date of REC Opinion
27 Feb 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion