Epstein-Barr Virus in Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Chilean Patients

Abstract

Squamous cell carcinoma is the most frequent malignancy in the oral cavity. Although the role of tobacco and alcohol in the process of carcinogenesis is widely considered, viral participation in carcinogenesis is scarcely studied. Our aim was to detect the Epstein-Barr virus presence in fresh tissue samples from adult patients with oral cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma and its relationship with clinical and socio-epidemiological variables.