Oral cancer awareness of general medical and general dental practitioners

A qualitative study examining the experience of primary care dentists in the detection and management of potentially malignant lesions. 1. Factors influencing detection and the decision to refer

“…Overall, the results of the present study reinforce the fi ndings from earlier research 4,5,29 and suggest that many PCDs are giving due consideration to early signs in accordance with the guidelines of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (2005). 31 However, it is surprising that this important source was not quoted once by any of the participants and it is worrying that some placed greater emphasis upon classical or textbook presentations of malignancy rather than PMLs, suggesting that further training is still necessary to promote a systematic and rigorous approach early detection of PMLs.…”

“…Previous research has shown that some PCDs also lack confidence in detecting oral cancer 4,5 and although this was not found here, there were a number of comments that an extra-oral examination was beyond the dentists' expertise. In addition to the factors associated with the lesion, PCDs also stated that factors associated with the patient can infl uence their referral.…”

“…A number of studies suggest that PCDs do regularly screen, 4,6 but the majority have used questionnaires to record behaviour, with the inherent bias this introduces. By undertaking a qualitative study, a richer account of PCDs' attitudes is obtained and appears to highlight a lack of rigour among some dentists, which has been identifi ed in earlier research.…”

“…7 Reibel 8 argues that there are three major problems in detecting PMLs and their potential for malignant transformation: the diagnoses can be subjective; not all lesions exhibiting dysplasia will eventually become malignant and some may even regress; and OSCC can develop within apparently 'normal' mucosa. 32 Earlier work has suggested that erythroplakia is not consistently identifi ed as a lesion that warrants concern, 4,5,22 even though this form of PML has fewer differential diagnoses when compared to other types of lesion and is considered to be an important sign of malignant change. 2 However, the results of this study would suggest that many of the PCDs are giving due concern to erythroplakia and increase their index of suspicion accordingly should this or a speckled presentation be found.…”

The experiences of young oral cancer patients in Scotland: symptom recognition and delays in seeking professional help

“…The disease is not infrequently misdiagnosed and the role of the family physician and dentist in early detection of oral cancer is becoming more important. 17 This exploratory study highlights some early experiences of younger oral cancer patients in Scotland. It shows how the initial phase of the patient journey to see a health care professional can vary significantly between individuals.…”