During a consultation, a 45-year-old chronic smoker presents with a whitish lesion on the floor of the mouth, approximately 1 cm in diameter, painless and without signs of inflammation. The lesion has been present for about three months without regression. The dentist performs an incisional biopsy for histopathological analysis, suspecting a potentially malignant lesion. Considering the clinical context and the principles of stomatological diagnosis, evaluate the following statements: