Oral Squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are common health hazard and ranks sixth globally among all cancer. In India, incidence of oral cancer is first among men and third among women. Its occurrence is mostly due to pernicious habits and lifestyle. There is an upsurge in screening methods for detection of oral cancer but the prognosis of oral cancer is still relatively poor. This can be mainly attributed to delay in the diagnosis and this directly reflects to the late presentation of the patient as majority of the population are unable to identify the early signs and symptoms of the disease primarily due to lack of knowledge and awareness. Early detection, diagnosis and treatment of OSCC will promptly increase the survival rates and prognosis. Thus our study is an attempt to assess the knowledge and awareness of people in rural areas of our native place.
Aim
• To assess the awareness of oral cancer and its preventable risk factors among dental patients for prevention, early detection and treatment
Objective
• To assess awareness about oral cancer among dental patients
• Evaluate their attitudes towards oral cancer screening
Materials and Method: We obtained institutional ethical clearance and conducted this survey. It was cross sectional questionnaire based survey conducted on 300 patients visiting the dental college for various treatments over a period of 2 months. Well structured, validated closed ended questionnaire comprising of total of 38 questions were framed. It was divided into 2 parts of which the first part comprised of total 8 questions regarding the personal details of patients and the remaining 30 were questions to assess the awareness and knowledge of the signs, symptoms and risk factors of oral cancer. The answers comprised of yes, no and don’t know which was eventually scored as 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The data obtained was numerically converted and entered into excel sheets and subjected for cumulative percentage.
Result: there was no significant association between education level and oral cancer knowledge (p>0.005) about 70% of the participants showed positive attitude towards oral cancer screening.
Conclusion: Results indicated that more than half of the study group did not have proper knowledge about oral cancer though all the participants heard of it. A multifaceted approach that integrates health education, tobacco and alcohol control, early detection and early treatment is needed to reduce the burden of this preventable cancer.
Impact Factor
2022: 6.012
This work is licensed under a