Introduction: oral cancer is a disease with high morbidity and mortality, associated with risk factors whose complex Tweed Gilets interplay is subject to scientific debate.Objective: to upgrade to the professionals about the risk factors for oral cancer.Methods: the literature review was conducted in SciELO Regional with the descriptors "risk factors" and "oral cancer", for which 31 full-text references were found.In Clinical Key, with the descriptor "cancer of the lip and oral cavity", we found 1746; English descriptors with "genes" and "oral cancer" retrieved 9822 results.PubMed, with the descriptor "oral cancer", retrieved 1207 items.
EBSCO, with the descriptor "oral cancer", offered full texts of 5 recent years (839 articles).200 articles in English and Spanish were retrieved, mainly from 2010-2015, and 62 papers were used.Data analysis and integration: in the oral carcinogenesis, tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes are affected.The non-genetic risk factors are smoking, alcohol consumption, and nutrient deficiency states, environmental factors such as radiation and heavy metals and different Film-Media bacterial, fungal and viral infections.These factors are also related to immunosuppression, mechanical friction by maladjusted dentures and poor oral hygiene.
Conclusions: the main risk factors for oral cancer are described.Susceptibility genes to cancer interact with risk factors mainly related to lifestyle and environmental factors in a complex network, whose identification and control in primary health care is important in the prevention of oral cancer by dentists.Key words: oral cancer; risk factors; oncogenes; tumor suppressor genes; tobacco; alcohol; prevention.