RESUMO
Oral cancer is a common neoplasm world-wide. The incidence and mortality have increased over the past decades. It is characterized by poor prognosis and a low survival rate despite sophisticated surgical and radiotherapeutic modalities. Galectins are detected in a wide variety of tissues. The expression of galectins is modulated during the differentiation of individual cells and during the development of organisms and tissues, being altered in different physiological or pathological conditions including, carcinogenesis. In this review, we will discuss the role of galectins during the malignant transformation of oral cells, in order to understand their mechanisms of the action in a several cellular activities and test systems. Certainly, such information will contribute for understanding oral cancer pathogenesis.