Clinical manifestations of oral precancer and cancer.

Oral squamous cell carcinomas generally metastasize early and are associated with a poor survival rate. Their prevention depends largely on timeous identification of precancerous oral mucosal lesions, which may present clinically as a homogeneous or nodular white plaque (leucoplakia), a mixed white and red lesion (erythroleucoplakia) or a homogeneous or nodular red lesion (erythroplakia). Red premalignant lesions generally have a higher malignant potential than white lesions.