The Potential Role of Telemedicine in Early Detection of Oral Cancer: A Literature Review

Abstract

The 5-year survival rates of oral cancer have not improved significantly since many decades. It is believed that “diagnostic delay” plays a critical role in determining the prognostic outcomes. At present, the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic has led to drastic changes within a short period of time and has resulted in many serious consequences at different levels worldwide. Although it is evident that COVID-19 is a major concern when it comes to people's health, it carries with it a message of hope, a desire to survive, and an opportunity to address many unprecedented challenges. This has left the doors wide open to use “telemedicine” as an essential tool to counter the rapid shift in health-care services and to meet the high demands in different health specialties including oral medicine. The aim of this review is to explore the potential roles of telemedicine in early detection of oral cancer and to highlight both the benefits and the limitations of the available applications and technologies. The clinical applications of telemedicine show a great potential in early detection of oral cancer, but the evidence of their effectiveness is still not conclusive. This needs to be investigated, especially in the developing countries where “telemedicine” may prove to be highly valuable in the future.