aspg-41-4206-1792223353 20261017074913 American Scientific Publishing Group admin@americaspg.com American Scientific Publishing Group Metaheuristic Optimization Review MOR 3066-280X 2026 5 2 Khaled Sh. Gaber Computer Science and Intelligent Systems Research Center, Blacksburg 24060, Virginia, USA Shahid Mahmood School of Finance and Economics, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, People’s Republic of China Oral cancer remains a significant global health concern, particularly due to the high rates of late-stage detection and the limitations of traditional diagnostic modalities. This study proposes a hybrid diagnostic framework that integrates deep learning with metaheuristic optimization to enhance the accuracy, efficiency, and interpretability of oral cancer classification. The architecture combines convolutional and recurrent neural network components with an adaptive optimization layer designed using swarm intelligence-inspired algorithms. This hybridization enables precise feature selection, architecture tuning, and parameter optimization, resulting in improved generalization and robustness across heterogeneous clinical datasets. The model is further augmented with explainable decision support features, enabling clinicians to visualize lesion relevance and interpret classification outcomes. Empirical evaluations demonstrate superior performance in terms of sensitivity, specificity, and computational efficiency compared to conventional training strategies. Additionally, the proposed framework is designed for portability and scalability, supporting potential deployment in mobile and edge-based diagnostic systems. The integration of interpretability, fairness constraints, and clinical adaptability underscores the model’s readiness for real-world implementation. This work contributes to the growing field of intelligent medical diagnostics and highlights the transformative potential of metaheuristic optimization in addressing complex, high-dimensional clinical classification tasks. 2026 26 42 4206 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 10.54216/MOR.050203 https://americaspg.com/journal/41/article/4206 https://americaspg.com/storage/articles/manuscripts/01KTFX9M2BRTZGJDC4YWXTZXM3.pdf