Elevated cholesterol levels and the associated risk of ischemic heart disease are a well-known phenomenon. The aim of this paper is to review the literature on lipid disorders in patients with oral precancerous conditions and oral squamous cell carcinoma and to draw attention to another aspect of lipid disorders. Low cholesterol levels may be a risk factor for the onset of cancer or the outcome of a disease. Changes in the lipid profile have been linked to the disease process because of the function that lipids play in the formation of new cells. Researchers describe a decrease in lipid and lipoprotein levels in patients with oral cancer, and believe that lipid profile disorders in these patients are a consequence of the disease process rather than its cause as the course of the disease process may limit the intake of food. A decrease in the level of some components of the lipidogram in patients with precancerous conditions was also noted.

Key words: oral squamous cell carcinoma, leukoplakia, lipids, lipoproteins.