Nuclear Fractal Dimension in Diagnosing Oral Cancer- A Systematic Review

Background: Fractal analysis, which derives from fractal geometry, is used to put a number on the degree of shape complexity. Recent research have looked at the use of fractal analysis for tumour characterization.

Objective: The systematic review's goal is to determine whether using the fractal dimension as a diagnostic tool can help detect oral squamous cell cancer in its earliest stages.

Methodology: By adhering to three main criteria, all research articles published between the years of 2008 and 2020 in three major scientific databases, including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were included. The selection criteria for the investigation were based on fractal dimension analysis in diagnosing oral cancer, nuclear fractal dimension analysis in identifying the nuclear structure before and after treatment of oral carcinomas.

Results: Use of nuclear fractal analysis by dental professionals will help in diagnosing oral cancer at an early stage itself which further has its effect on treatment outcome. All the ten included studies have shown that fractal geometry is a useful objective tool in diagnosing oral cancer. The risk was assessed done by Cochrane risk assessment model based on the several domains used was roughly 53% low risk, 30% ambiguous, and 15% high risk of bias.

Conclusion: All three of the objectives of this systematic study that were used as benchmarks improved as a result of the fractal dimension technique. Early detection of the healthy and sick architecture of the nucleus in cases of oral cancer was made possible by the use of fractal dimension principles. It also helps in assessing and comparing nuclear characteristics of cancer cases before and after treatment.

Significance: Applying the principles of nuclear fractal dimension improves the diagnosis of oral carcinomas at early stages.