Thyroid Cancer Risk Factors and Early Detection Awareness among Umm Al-Qura University Medical Students

Abstract

Background: Thyroid carcinoma (TC) is the most prevalent head and neck cancer. Pre-clinical students lacked essential knowledge of thyroid cancer. Furthermore, clinical years medical students needed more awareness of thyroid screening and self-examination. Consequently, this study aims to identify the knowledge and understanding of thyroid cancer, among Umm Al-Qura University medical students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on undergraduate medical students in the third to sixth year of a medical college using an online questionnaire from April to June 2022. Results: A survey of 297 medical students from the 3rd to 6th year found that 46.1% knew all early signs of thyroid cancer, while only 12.5% did not know any diagnostic tools. Most participants (74.4%) knew all desirable candidates for a thyroid cancer screen. 260 (87.5%) students answered positively that any unexplained lump or swelling could be an early sign of cancer. The gender of the participants had a significant correlation with many factors related to student knowledge of thyroid cancer, with gender having a substantial correlation with only two early signs. The student's grade point average (GPA) and academic year also had a significant correlation with many factors related to thyroid cancer knowledge. Conclusion: Thyroid cancer prevalence can be reduced by increasing public awareness and knowledge of risk factors. Students’ knowledge and participation in public education can lead to better results. In addition, increased public awareness about early signs of thyroid cancer can improve overall disease prognosis, morbidity, and mortality.