<i><b>Candida albicans</b></i> <b>is a context-dependent risk factor for malignant transformation of oral precancer lesions: a prospective cohort study of 734 Taiwanese patients</b>.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Candida albicans has been implicated in oral carcinogenesis, but its role in the progression of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) remains unclear. We investigated whether high Candida burden in OPMD lesions predicts malignant transformation (MT) and whether this association varied by OPMD subtype.

Patients and methods

In a multicenter prospective cohort study across seven hospitals in Taiwan, 734 OPMD patients were followed for a mean of 2.4 years. Oral lesion swabs were cultured on chromogenic agar to quantify Candida albicans level. Cox models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) for MT to oral cancer.

Results

MT occurred in 6.8% of patients. High Candida burden was independently associated with increased MT ris

SUBMITTER: Jiang SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12716479 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature