Salivary metabolomics – A diagnostic and biologic signature for oral cancer

Early detection of Oral Cancer (OC) with non-invasive tools and screening of high-risk populations remains to be an unmet need. Metabolic reprogramming is an important hallmark of cancer. This review discusses the role of Salivary metabolomics (SM) in the diagnosis of OC and precancer. An electronic search was carried out in various databases with keywords "Salivary Metabolomics" “Oral Cancer” “Oral leukoplakia” and “Oral Lichen planus” from 2005 to July 2020. A total number of 48 studies were included out of which 38 were excluded. Several characteristic salivary metabolites were significantly altered in OC and precancer patients. SM techniques can be used to explore the metabolic signatures in OC and precancer, unravel its pathogenesis and develop targeted therapies.