Oral cancer is the sixth common malignancy and a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide and buccal mucosa is one most commonly affected sites. Worldwide over 350,000 to 400,000 new cases of cancer found each year. Cancers of Head and Neck comprises ~27 % of total cancers seen in males at Tata Memorial Centre. Of these ~12 % are from the Oral cavity. In the post genomic era, efforts to understand oral cancer are aimed at obtaining genomic and proteomic profiles which generate enormous data. Thus the challenge is to analyze the data effectively and utilize the information for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment.

The existing database on oral cancer genes OrCGDB (http://www.tumor-gene.org/Oral/oral.html) has information only about 15 genes without a search engine and Interactome map. We are developing a more user friendly database that would provide the scientist, information and external links from one place. At present the data base contains 242 genes mined from PubMed database (34 genes), Shillitoe (http://www.upstate.edu/microb/shillite/Published_Oral_Cancer_Genes.htm) medline search (90 genes) and the gene list reported in full text articles from microarray and proteomics studies (118 genes).