Oral Cancer Knowledge Research Articles

Oral Cancer Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices among Primary Oral Health Care Dentists in Kuwait

Background:Oral cancer signifies a public health concern of international importance. Early detection of oral cancer can improve the prognosis and the 5-year survival rate.Objective:The aim of this study was to assess the level of oral cancer knowledge, opinion, attitudes and practices among dentists working at the primary oral health care centers in Kuwait.Methods:In this cross-sectional study, self-reported questionnaire was distributed to the dentists working at the primary oral health care centers in Kuwait. A total of 289 dentists participated in the present study. The questionnaire included 23- questions on oral cancer knowledge, opinion, attitudes and practices.Results:The mean age of the dentists was 35.2 ± 10.9 years. Approximately, all dentists (99.7%) were aware of the major risk factors that were most likely associated with oral cancer. Overall, majority of the participants knew the most common form of oral cancer (80.6%), most common site (80.3%) and the likely lesions associated with oral cancer occurrence (87.9%). A large number of dental practitioners (81%) would routinely refer a patient with a suspicious lesion to a specialist. Nearly one-third (32%) reviewed their patients’ oral cancer risk factors. Approximately two-thirds (62%) assessed the use of tobacco in their practice. Almost, all (92.4%) were interested in attending continuing education courses on oral cancer.Conclusions:Majority of the participants presented good knowledge about various aspects of oral cancer. More continuing education programs on risk factors and diagnosis of oral cancer should be organized to train the dentists. Oral cancer screening should be a routine procedure for the high risk patients at the primary oral health care centers in Kuwait.

Oral Cancer Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice of Dentists in the State of Qatar.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess existing knowledge on oral cancer (OC), attitude toward OC examination, and clinical practice among dentists practicing in the governmental health sector in the State of Qatar, including the influence of personal characteristics. Materials and Methods: All 271 dentists practicing in Primary Health Care Centers (PHCC) and the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) were invited to participate in this cross-sectional study. Of these, 177 completed a self-administered, 48-item questionnaire. Based on the responses, knowledge of the risk factors for and clinical presentation of OC was categorized as high, medium, or low, and then further separated into satisfactory (medium/high) and unsatisfactory (low). Information on attitudes toward OC examination and clinical practice was also taken from the questionnaire. Results: The mean score for knowledge of the clinical presentation of OC was 7.59 (standard deviation [SD] = 2.40) out of 14. The mean score for knowledge of the risk factors for OC was 8.96 (SD = 2.31) out of 16. Dentists with ≤10 years of experience were more likely to have satisfactory knowledge of OC compared to dentists with >15 years of experience. Attending a continuous professional development (CPD) course on OC showed a trend with satisfactory clinical knowledge, although it was not statistically significant. Conclusion: This study identified gaps in dentists’ knowledge of OC; dentists demonstrated unsatisfactory knowledge of the clinical presentation of and risk factors for OC. The findings highlighted the need for educational interventions on OC, which are essential to improving health care outcomes and delivery of care.

Knowledge and Attitudes of Primary Health Care Dentists Regarding Oral Cancer in Brazil.

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and attitudes of dentists working in Primary Health Care Units from a Brazilian city, regarding oral cancer.Materials and methodsA prospective, cross-sectional, epidemiologic survey was performed. Seventy-one dentists from Primary Health Care Units were contacted at their workplace, and participated of the study. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire of 31 multiple-choice questions addressing the main clinical features and risk factors for oral cancer. The questionnaire was divided into two sections: questions related to general data and self-perception of the participants regarding personal knowledge of oral cancer, and objective questions related to general information on oral cancer (clinical features, characteristics, traits, and risk factors). The data were tabulated and analyzed by descriptive statistics.ResultsParticipants were mostly females (81.5%), less than 40 years of age (57.7%), who underwent training 10–20 years ago (47.9%). Most respondents (66.2%) considered their level of knowledge about oral cancer to be satisfactory. However, only 26.8% of tem felt that they were able to carry out diagnostic procedures for oral cancer. Most of them (95.8%) were interested in participating in training courses on Oral Diagnostics; 56.3% of them reported not having received any training or guidance on how to conduct an examination to detect oral cancer during undergraduate training.ConclusionsThese findings are consistent with previous reports and point to the need for new public policies to enable early diagnosis of oral cancer and a review of training in Oral Diagnostics in dental schools.

Oral-cancer knowledge, practice, and attitude assessment of dentists in Upper Egypt: A cross-sectional study.

The aims of this study were to investigate the knowledge, attitude, and practice of dentists in Upper Egypt with regard to oral cancer (OC). Out of 1,200 licensed dental practitioners list, 424 dentists were randomly selected from three governorates in Upper Egypt (Minia, Assuit, and Sohag). The sample size was calculated using the equation considering the knowledge of dentists about OC, confidence level, and margins of error; then, an additional number of dentists were added to guard against nonresponse. Data were collected by face‐to‐face interview using 44 items divided into four sections; first part demonstrates sociodemographic. The second part concerned with the knowledge about OC clinical presentation and diagnosis (12 multiple‐choice questions) as well as its risk factors (17 close‐end questions). The third part consists of six questions focused on the practice of participants, and finally, the last part measures attitude of dentists. The chi‐square test was used to compare between the two or more proportions. A correlation was used for describing the relationship or association between two mutually numerical dependent variables. p < 0.05 was considered to indicate significance. Rate of response was 94.3%. The overall knowledge level in the current study was 31.8%. The awareness about OC risk factors was high especially, smoking tobacco and alcohol consumption. Also, over 80% of dentists identified family history and human papillomavirus (HPV) as risk factors. Only 37.5% of participants performed regular screening of oral mucosa, and 26.5% reported lymph‐node examination. Regarding attitude, only one quarter of dentists attended continuing educating programs about OC. A statistically significant relation (p < 0.0001) between knowledge level and most demographic variables was detected. There was a fair positive correlation (r = 0.47) between practice and knowledge scores. A predominant trouble among dentists in Upper Egypt was regarding OC knowledge and practice. Continues education and training programs are highly recommended.

Campaign to Increase Awareness of Oral Cancer Risk Factors Among Preadolescents.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) represents one of the most common but scarcely known malignancies worldwide. The etiology of OSCC is strongly related to lifestyle habits and behavior, especially tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse. The mean age of individuals who start smoking and drinking alcohol is decreasing; thus, the aim of our campaign was to test the awareness and increase knowledge of oral cancer and its risk factors among young preadolescents. Six schools with 460 students aged 12-14years were included in the campaign. A lecture about carcinogenesis and oral cancer was provided. Anonymous questionnaires were submitted to the students before and after the lecture, to test their knowledge, awareness, and understanding. Before the lecture, the students showed very little awareness of oral cancer (26.8%), although almost all of them identified tobacco smoking as a risk factor (92.2%). After the lecture, the students showed a significant understanding of the provided information, thus increasing their awareness. On scales of 1-10, the students rated the appropriateness of the campaign at 8.9 and their overall appreciation at 8.7. Social campaigns, especially among young students, seem to be appreciated and may represent a powerful strategy for increasing knowledge about cancer risk factors, especially when they are highly related to lifestyle habits and behavior.

Knowledge and risk perception of oral cancer among rickshaw drivers in Karad City, Maharashtra, India

Introduction: Rickshaw drivers, who provide an important mode of public transport in urban and semiurban areas in India, are exposed to harmful environmental pollutants, unhealthy lifestyle, irregular meals, poor work posture, and most importantly habits such as tobacco and alcohol. Keeping all this in view, the present study was planned to analyze the knowledge and risk perception of oral cancer among rickshaw drivers in Karad city. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional, descriptive study was carried out among 300 autorickshaw drivers of Karad city from Western Maharashtra, India. The questionnaire used consisted of various items including tobacco and alcohol consumption, their working hours, and more importantly their awareness toward oral cancer including its early symptoms as well as their self-perceived risk assessment. Results: Out of the 300 autorickshaw drivers studied in the present study, 260 (86.7%) were either smoking or chewing tobacco in some of its forms. Only 36 (12%) of 300 participants thought they should undergo regular screening for oral cancer. Conclusion: Thus, the findings of this study reflect a significant need of increasing cancer awareness among the population of rickshaw drivers. Targeted counseling programs and oral cancer screening programs would enable catching the early signs of cancer and nipping it in its bud.

Awareness and knowledge of oral cancer in the city of Baghdad, Iraq: a questionnaire-based survey

Awareness and knowledge of oral cancer in the city of Baghdad, Iraq: a questionnaire-based survey

Oral cancer awareness, knowledge, and practices among Saudi general dentists

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate oral cancer (OC) awareness, knowledge, and practices among Saudi general dentists. Materials and Methods: We included dentists who were recognized and licensed by the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties. They were e-mailed officially with a 28-item questionnaire and constructed to investigate the study objectives. Results: The final sample included 326 dentists. About 85.6% of the participants reported their awareness; this was confirmed when similar percentage (87.4%) stated that there are etiological factors other than tobacco and alcohol for OC. Only 34.7% of the participants had sufficient knowledge concerning the prevention and detection of OC. Concerning the referral, 53.4% referred their patients to oral medicine specialist. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that chances exist to improve the knowledge, increase awareness, and develop right practices toward OC. Furthermore, our results revealed that dentists believed their knowledge was insufficient to detect OCs, although most of them showed reasonable level of knowledge about some aspects of diagnosing OCs. All these emphasize general dentists' role in the prevention and diagnosis and the need to improve dentists' knowledge and practices toward OC.

Awareness and Knowledge of Oral Cancer among Dental Practitioners of Bhopal, India - A Cross-Sectional Study

Awareness and Knowledge of Oral Cancer among Dental Practitioners of Bhopal, India - A Cross-Sectional Study

Knowledge and awareness of oral cancer and impact of pictorial warnings on the willingness to quit tobacco in young tobacco consumers in India.

Oral cancer is most common cancer globally and is one of the most life-threatening conditions worldwide. To assess the knowledge and awareness of oral cancer and the impact of pictorial warnings on the willingness to quit tobacco in young tobacco consumers in India. This cross-sectional study included 250 young tobacco consumers from Ranchi, Jharkhand. A pretested validated questionnaire was used that collected information on knowledge and awareness of oral cancer from the respondents. The responses were estimated on a three-point scale (No/Don't know/Yes). p-Value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. The majority of the respondents were aware of oral cancer (92.0%). Educational status was significantly associated with a good knowledge of awareness of oral cancer and its associated risk factors (p-Value <0.05). Media was identified as the main source for spreading oral cancer awareness (69.1%). The majority of the people were aware of the pictorial warnings on tobacco products (96.1%). However, the pictorial warnings seem to have a very low impact on willingness to quit tobacco by the respondents (20.0%). Alternative strategies need to be employed by the government to motivate people to quit tobacco consumption. Dental health education should be provided and educational pamphlets should be distributed to create awareness about the harmful effects of tobacco consumption.

Knowledge of Oral Cancer among the Fourth and Fifth Year Dental Students.

BackgroundThe literature data show insufficient knowledge and awareness about oral cancer among dental and medical students.ObjectiveTo assess the knowledge of graduating dental students regarding oral cancer and to assess their awareness regarding the prevention and early detection of oral cancer. Also student’s smoking status was examined aimed to investigate their attitude towards smoking as a risk factor for development of oral cancer and to assess the prevalence of smoking among dental students.Subjects and MethodsThe study group consisted of 83 students of the fourth and fifth years of dental medicine study who answered the questions written in the original 16-item questionnaire.ResultsMore than half of the students considered their knowledge to be good, a quarter of them regarded their knowledge as being poor. Almost 16% of students considered their knowledge to be very good, whereas only two students rated their knowledge as ‘excellent’. Students of the fifth year were more likely to be smokers compared to fourth year students (39.5% vs. 22.5%). Higher percentage of non-smokers than smokers had marked 'stop smoking' as an important preventive measure (non-smokers 91.2%, smokers 84.3%, p = 0.01).ConclusionMajority of the students of fourth and fifth year of study rate their knowledge about oral cancer as good. A large number of students of both years considered hairy leukoplakia a potentially malignant disorder. Students non smokers recognize “stop smoking” as an important preventive measure unlike students smokers who show a more realistic attitude towards smoking as a risk factor for oral cancer.

HPV and Oral Cancer: The Need to Integrate Oral Health Practices Into Nursing Education.

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated oropharyngeal cancer has increased in recent decades. With a shortage of dental professionals, nurses may be key in detecting oral cancer and educating patients. The aim of this study is to assess students in nursing and dental programs for their oral and oropharyngeal cancer knowledge and perceptions of responsibility and capability of performing oral screenings and HPV counseling. 158 surveys were completed by students attending nursing and dental programs at a midwestern university. The chi-squared test and analysis of variance were used to calculate differences in frequencies of categorical and interval data. Many students across programs were unaware of the potential effectiveness of the HPV vaccination in reducing oropharyngeal cancer. Nursing and nurse practitioner students were less likely to believe they could perform an examination or that it was within their perceived scope of practice.

Educational aspects of oral cancer.

The incidence of oral and oropharyngeal cancer is rising in the UK, its aetiology is changing and early detection and referral saves lives. This article covers how and to what depth oral and oropharyngeal cancer is taught to dental students and other preregistration dental care professionals and examines the threats in the current climate to that education. It also discusses the knowledge of oral and oropharyngeal cancer among general dental practitioners and argues that further continuing professional development regarding the changing aetiology and epidemiology of oral and oropharyngeal cancer is desirable. The article concludes that current levels of education before registration must be maintained so that dentists and dental care professionals can take full advantage of continuing professional development and are able to detect oral and oropharyngeal cancer, refer for specialist treatment and provide appropriate preventive advice to their patients. In this way the potential of all dental professionals to save lives will be maintained.

Awareness of Polish undergraduate and graduate students regarding the impact of viral infections and high-risk sexual behaviors on the occurrence of oral cancer.

With every passing year, more and more studies and observations demonstrate growing incidence of oral cancer, a decrease in patients' age, and an increasing number of epidemiological factors. The aim of the study was to determine the level of awareness among undergraduate and graduate university students regarding the incidence of oral cancer linked with viral infections and high-risk sexual behavior, including oral sex. Self-administered questionnaire-based survey was carried out among 196 Polish students aged 19 to 25 years. It was found that the young adults understood the meaning of human papillomavirus (HPV), but associated it only with the squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix. A total of 43.4% did not realize that there was any correlation between HPV infection and the development of oral cancer. The students who were aware of this correlation constituted 40.3% of the total. The majority of the participants, that is, 82 subjects (41.8%), did not associate the occurrence of malignant neoplasms of the oral cavity with oral sex. The study group did not present adequate awareness of the fact that occurrence of oral cancer may be associated with high-risk sexual behaviors. Knowledge of oral cancer was not significantly related to the level of university education (P < .005).

The Impact of in Intervention Program on Oral Cancer Awareness and Practice of Preventive Behaviors in High-Risk Indigenous Community in Sarawak, Malaysia

Background: Oral cancer is highly prevalent among indigenous people in Sarawak as this population lacks awareness and is known to practice high-risk habits. Aim: This study aimed to develop and evaluate the impact of an educational intervention to improve oral cancer awareness and practice of preventive behavior among high-risk indigenous communities in Sarawak, Malaysia. Methods: A quasi-experimental study was undertaken involving adults in a Bisaya community (with high risk habits) in Limbang, Sarawak. The intervention group received a structured, Health Beliefs Model (HBM) theory-based oral cancer education module, while the control group was exposed to the conventional oral cancer education method during Ministry of Health's community oral cancer and precancer screening program. Face-to-face interviews using a validated structured questionnaire were conducted to obtain baseline information prior to intervention and after one and three months. Descriptive and multivariate statistics were used for analyzing the data using SPSS software. Results: The overall response rate was 99.5%. The final sample comprised of 204 respondents (89 in the control group and 115 in the intervention group). At baseline, 75.1% of respondents had heard about oral cancer, however their in-depth knowledge on risk factors, signs and symptoms and prevention were lacking. The control group had better awareness than the intervention group. Smoking and alcohol drinking were more prevalent in the intervention group, whereas betel quid chewing and practice of mouth self-examination (MSE) were more evident in the control group. At 1-month and 3-month follow-up, there were significantly higher mean scores in all aspects of oral cancer awareness among respondents in the intervention group and these improved levels of awareness were maintained over a period of 1- and 3-months. There were higher proportion of smokers, alcohol drinkers and betel quid chewers in the intervention group who reported quitting their habits or reducing the number of cigarettes smoked per day, frequency of alcohol drinking and betel quid chewing than the control group. The respondents in the intervention group also had significant increase in uptake of MSE and higher proportions who performed it once a month. Conclusion: The structured HBM-based oral cancer health education intervention was shown to have significant impacts on oral cancer knowledge and awareness, cessation and reduction of risk habits and increased the uptake of MSE among respondents in the intervention group of this indigenous community. Therefore, the introduced structured health education intervention is recommended for other communities in Malaysia that practice the same oral cancer risk habits. Considering this indigenous community is of lower socioeconomic status (SES), the introduced intervention could also be extended to other lower SES groups in Malaysia.

Oral cancer awareness in Spain: A pilot study.

To investigate the level of oral cancer knowledge and awareness in a Spanish general population. A cross-sectional study using an anonymous questionnaire applied in the community to randomly selected laypersons. Sample size for the general population was determined by quota sampling, resulting in 1,041 individuals. A total of 1,707 pedestrians were approached (response: 61%). When the participants were asked about what cancers had they heard about (up to ten), oral cancer was mentioned in first place by 2% of the sample and by 22% in any order. When specifically asked about oral cancer, the percentage of interviewees who were familiar with it raised to 72%. Participants were also asked about the main signs or symptoms of oral cancer, and the most frequently (22%) mentioned as the first warning sign was a non-healing ulcer. Tobacco smoking generally was recognised as the most important (57%) risk factor for oral cancer. This pilot study revealed a low awareness of oral cancer, and a poor knowledge of its signs and symptoms and risk factors.

Oral Cancer Knowledge Assessment: Newly Graduated versus Senior Dental Clinicians.

The present study assessed the level of dentists' knowledge regarding oral cancer in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. A questionnaire was used to compare the level of knowledge among newly graduated and senior clinicians. A total of 20,154 e-mails were correctly delivered to the dentists registered in the database of the Regional Dentistry Council of São Paulo, and 477 (2.36%) responses were received. This sample consisted of 84 newly graduated clinicians and 105 senior clinicians. For the statistical analysis, the chi-square test and the logistic regression analysis were performed with α = 0.05, and the results were described herein. According to their knowledge level, the results were statistically different between the groups, since 19% of the newly graduated clinicians were evaluated with knowledge grade A (excellent) in comparison to 6.7% of the senior clinicians. In spite of the results indicated that newly graduated clinicians' knowledge regarding oral cancer was 2.1 times higher, 34.5% of the professionals in this group had regular or poor knowledge on the subject, and several questions relating to clinical characteristics and risk factors indicated that there still exist some knowledge gaps, demonstrating that there is a need for further studies and information activities addressing oral cancer.

Oral cancer: general awareness, in-depth knowledge and associated biosocial factors

Background: Oral cancer accounts for approximately 200,000 deaths annually worldwide and 46,000 deaths occurring in India. Oral cancer is largely preventable by avoiding known risk factors. Delayed presentation of oral cancer is mainly due to lack of awareness of the public about oral cancer and its associated risk factors. The knowledge and understanding of oral cancer influences individuals in prevention and treatment seeking behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional community based survey was conducted in North-east Delhi and 775 families were covered. The eldest member from each family, were interviewed about oral cancer by using pre tested study schedule. Data were analyzed and appropriate tests of significance were applied. Results: Majority of the study subjects were females (63.5%) and were belonging to socioeconomic class V and IV (68.1%). Although 80.9% of the study participants were aware and have heard about oral cancer, and this awareness was directly proportional to literacy status (p=0.001). “Chewing tobacco” was most commonly recognized risk factor (77.7%). Less than half of them knew that oral cancer is preventable (45%). The most common media through which this study population heard about oral cancer was electronic media (90.3%). Conclusions: Although the majority of the study population had heard about oral cancer, but in-depth knowledge of its risk factors and sign and symptoms was poor that affects the practices regarding prevention and early detection negatively. For increasing awareness oral health education programs should be carried out.

What do dental college clinicians know about oral cancer and its risk factors? An assessment among final year students, interns and faculty members in saudi arabia.

BackgroundThe ability of health care professionals to perform oral cancer examination depends partly on their knowledge of the disease and its risk factors. This study aimed to assess and compare the knowledge of final year students, interns and faculty members regarding oral cancer and its risk factors.Material and MethodsA 35-item questionnaire about knowledge of oral cancer and its risk factors was distributed among participants from Jazan University’s Dental School. A minimum score of 18 was the cut-off point for an acceptable total score of oral cancer knowledge [OCTS]. Descriptive statistics described the relations between demographics variables and knowledge levels of participants. The differences between OCTS, diagnostic-clinical examination knowledge [DCK] and supportive knowledge [SK] and sex and occupation were analyzed using independent t-test and ANOVAs respectively.ResultsA total of 72 students, 68 interns and 88 faculty members completed the questionnaires (N = 228); with an average age of 23.8 ± 0.9 years, 25.1 ± 1.5 years and 40.6 ± 9.1 years with 55.1% males. OCTS was 20.2 ± 3.6 out of 35. No significant difference between OCTS and participants’ sex was found (t (203) = 1.342, p = .181, 95% CI for difference -.302 ــ 1.589). No significant differences in OCTS between students, interns and faculty members (F (2, 225) = 2.116, p = .123). A significant difference in SK between final year students, interns, and faculty members was founded (F (2, 194) = 5.62, p = .004).ConclusionsKnowledge of oral cancer and its risk factors among Jazan Dental School’s final year students, interns and faculty members is acceptable. However, due to the high rate of oral cancer in Jazan, emphasizing knowledge of oral cancer and its risk factors in the curriculum of Jazan Dental School is required. Key words:Oral cancer, risk factors, knowledge, dental education, curriculum, dental students, dentists.

Oral Cancer Knowledge among a Sample of Elderly People in Depok City, West Java, Indonesia

Objective: To determine the level of knowledge concerning oral cancer among a sample of elderly people with various sociodemographic characters, behavior, and dental visits in Depok City, Indonesia. Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study of oral cancer awareness was conducted among 100 elderly people in Depok City using an interviewer-administered questionnaire. We collected information regarding sociodemographic data regarding age, gender, marital status, education, health insurance, risk factors and early signs of oral cancer, and questions related to lifestyle factors relevant to oral cancer, including smoking, drinking alcohol, tobacco chewing, betel quid chewing, and dental visits. Data were analyzed through the Statistical Package for Social Sciences and presented through descriptive and inferential statistics. Statistical significance level was set at p<0.05. Results: 64% of respondents have poor knowledge of the oral cancer risk factors, while only 25% of respondents have sound knowledge of the early signs of oral cancer. There was a significant difference in the level of oral cancer knowledge according to gender (p=0.01), level of education (p=0.008), smoking behavior (p=0.03), and dental visits (p=0.01). Conclusion: The oral cancer knowledge among elderly people in Depok City is still lacking. Further, some sociodemographic factors influence the level of oral cancer knowledge.