A Rare Case of Oral Field Cancerization Due to Nutritional Deficiency with an Update on Current Concepts

Squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) of the oral cavity and the upper aerodigestive tract are mostly associated with tobacco and alcohol consumption. However, a small minority of patients with SCC do not consume tobacco or alcohol. The underlying etiology of head and neck cancer in this patient population remains unclear. The most common etiological factor is related to constant long-term exposure to carcinogens. Head and neck cancers are rarely observed in patients who do not consume tobacco or alcohol. To date, only a few cases of oral cancer caused by nutritional deficiencies have been reported.

In this report, we present a case of oral field cancerization in a sixty years old woman with no predisposing factors, except a history of nutritional deficiency and hematological investigations suggestive of iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B12 deficiencies.

As India is a developing country with a large population suffering from nutritional deficiencies, randomized controlled trials are required to determine the association between vitamin deficiency and oral malignancies. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether dietary micronutrient supplementation can have an impact on the prevention of carcinogenesis.