If we had that map of the molecular changes of a pre-cancer to a cancer, we could develop ways of finding people that are harboring these precancerous lesions, and then blocking them from ever getting an invasive disease.
Treatment of precancerous lesions begins with active surveillance, removing any diseased tissue, and stopping any causative agents, like smoking and alcohol abuse.
Well, one of the initial studies looking at that idea that heme iron causes cancer, fed calcium deficient rats a heme iron rich diet and found that indeed, these rats developed precancerous lesions in their colon.
However, leukoplakia is considered a precancerous condition, meaning that compared to normal tissue, it's more likely to develop into a cancer in the future.
Leukoplakia is a precancerous white lesion, but more serious lesions include the red-colored erythroplakia which almost always contain severe dysplasia or early cancer.
As a family, everyone needs to sort of bond together and help treat dad who may be suffering from cancer or who hasn't gone for his precancerous screening. Prevention is so key.