Identifying Factors to Improve Oral Cancer Screening Uptake: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

AimsTo engage with high risk groups to identify knowledge and awareness of oral cancer signs and symptoms and the factors likely to contribute to improved screening uptake.MethodsFocus group discussions were undertaken with 18 males; 40+ years of age; smokers and/or drinkers (15+ cigarettes per day and/or 15+ units of alcohol per week), irregular dental attenders living in economically deprived areas of Teesside.ResultsThere was a striking reported lack of knowledge and awareness of oral cancer and its signs and symptoms among the participants. When oral/mouth cancer leaflets produced by Cancer Research UK were presented to the participants, they claimed that they would seek help on noticing such a condition. There was a preference to seek help from their general practitioner rather than their dentist due to perceptions that a dentist is ‘inaccessible’ on a physical and psychological level, costly, a ‘tooth specialist’ not a ‘mouth specialist’, and also not able to prescribe medication and make referrals to specialists. Interestingly, none of the 18 participants who were offered a free oral cancer examination at a dental practice took up this offer.ConclusionsThe uptake of oral cancer screening may be improved by increasing knowledge of the existence and signs and symptoms of oral cancer. Other factors that may increase uptake are increased awareness of the role of dentists in diagnosing oral cancer, promotion of oral cancer screening by health professionals during routine health checks, and the use of a “health” screening setting as opposed to a “dental” setting for such checks.

Screening projects for oral carcinoma in relation to health education and patients' compliance: Study on 600 participants

“…First of all, lack of awareness of oral carcinoma, of its signs and symptoms, and risk factors has been reported. [ 5 18 19 20 ] In particular, our study has pointed out that only 7.6% of the people interviewed knew about the existence of OSCC, and only 6.5% were informed about the correlation between smoking and alcohol abuse and this neoplasia. Consequently, it is clear that prevention cannot be carried out without prior correct information.…”

Knowledge, attitudes, practice and related factors of oral cancer prevention among public health nurses in Taiwan

“…However, an overwhelming majority (98%) of primary healthcare workers in India agreed that the primary healthcare system must adopt the responsibility of preventing oral diseases, which depends on promoting the importance of oral health at the policymaking level (Bhoopathi et al., 2014). Public health measures to help ensure early detection of oral cancer may include increasing awareness of signs and symptoms of the disease, training primary healthcare professionals to be highly suspicious of symptoms and risk factors in high‐risk groups, including alcohol consumption and betel nut chewing, and conduct oral screening as part of routine health checks (Zohoori, Shah, Mason, & Shucksmith, 2012). Ultimately, screening of high‐risk populations will be needed in order to curb the high morbidity and mortality of oral cancer, but in the meantime, conventional oral examination continues to be the main screening tool (Coelho, 2012).…”

Dental students’ awareness and attitudes toward HPV-related oral cancer: a cross sectional study at the University of Jordan

“…Moreover, the results of the study are expected to be beneficial at the country level, and might have an added value at the regional level, since a relatively large percentage of the participants were non-Jordanians and likely to practice dentistry in the neighbouring countries. The emphasis on dental staff awareness and the importance of dentists’ roles in the early diagnosis of oral cancer is invaluable particularly in the developing countries [42, 43].…”