Oral Candida colonization in oral cancer patients and its relationship with traditional risk factors of oral cancer: A matched case-control study

The frequencies of oral yeasts' presence and high oral colonization were significantly higher in oral cancer than non-oral cancer patients (p = 001; p = 0.033, respectively). No significant difference in the isolation profile of Candida species was found between the two groups, except C. parapsilosis was more frequent in non-oral cancer group. Differences were noticed in the incidence of C. albicans strains where significantly more C. albicans genotype-A was isolated from cancer patients and significantly more C. albicans genotype-B isolated from non-cancer patients. Multiple regression analyses showed significant association with cancer observed for alcohol drinking (OR = 4.253; 95% CI = 1.351, 13.386), Candida presence (OR = 3.242; 95% CI = 1.505, 6.984) and high oral colonization (OR = 3.587; 95% CI = 1.153, 11.162). These results indicate that there is a significant association between oral cancer occurrence and Candida oral colonization and that the observed genotypic diversity of C. albicans strains may play a role in oral carcinogenesis.