Cancer is one of the most common reasons behind mortality among people, and oral cancer occupies the sixth position in the incidence of cancer cases throughout the world. It is among the top three cancers prevalent in India due to heavy alcohol, smoking, and cigarette use and chewing betel nuts. In the present review, the authors have underlined the roles of different recurrent matrix Metalloproteases (MMPs) in OSMF (oral sub mucous fibrosis) and OSCC (oral squamous cell carcinoma). OSCC has a higher degree of invasiveness and propagates to lymph of the neck, and the invasiveness of OSCC is due to the disintegration of the basement membrane which is fulfilled by the release of proteases by tumor cells. Additionally, survival rates of patients diagnosed with oral cancer decrease along with clinical stages and advancing age.
