RESUMO
The burden of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is increasing globally with 600,000new cases being reported annually. A great proportion of these are oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) which are preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). The aim of our study was to assess the prevalence of OPMDs among adult Malaysian dental patients with and without risk habits. The objectives of this study were i) to determine the prevalence of OPMDs among dental patients who were tobacco smokers ii) to determine the prevalence of OPMDs among dental patients who were alcohol users iii) to determine the prevalence of OPMDs among dental patients without any risk habits iv) to determine the awareness on oral cancer among dental patients with and without risk habits. Materials and methods: This was a cross sectional observational study, carried out at Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya. A conventional oral examination was conducted by two investigators who were trained and calibrated prior to the survey. Participants were administered a questionnaire that was pre-tested in a previous study. 83 subjects were recruited into the study. Leukoplakia was the only OPMD detected in our study with a prevalence of 10.8%. All patients diagnosed with leukoplakia were males (P < 0.05). A significant association between the prevalence of OPMDs and risk habits was found. There was a general lack of awareness among smokers regarding alcohol as an aetiological agent for oral cancer. A significant proportion of subjects who smoked were unaware of early signs of oral cancer.
RESUMO
INTRODUCCIÓN: el cáncer bucal se puede detectar precozmente, si la población se educa para identificar los síntomas tempranos de la enfermedad, por ser la cavidad bucal una de las regiones del organismo que puede examinarse directamente. OBJETIVO: evaluar el nivel de conocimientos de los pacientes sobre el cáncer bucal. MÉTODOS: estudio descriptivo, de corte transversal mediante una entrevista individual. El universo estuvo conformado por 460 pacientes que acudieron a Consulta de Estomatología. RESULTADOS: se observó que 246 pacientes (53,5 %) tuvieron nivel medio de escolaridad, 288 (62,6 %) no conocían los factores de riesgo del cáncer bucal y solo el 2,2 % fue evaluado de "bien", en su nivel de conocimientos sobre cáncer bucal. CONCLUSIONES: el nivel de conocimientos sobre el cáncer bucal de la mayor parte de la población encuestada fue evaluado de "regular" y "mal".
INTRODUCTION: it is possible to detect oral cancer at an early stage provided that the population is trained to identify the initial symptoms of the disease, since the oral cavity is one of the sections of the human body which may be examined directly. OBJECTIVE: evaluate the level of knowledge about oral cancer among dental patients. METHODS: a descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted based on an individual interview. The study universe was composed of 460 patients seeking dental care. RESULTS: It was found that 246 patients (53.5 %) had completed high school, 288 (62.6 %) were not aware of the risk factors for oral cancer, and a mere 2.2 % had adequate knowledge about oral cancer. CONCLUSIONS: The level of knowledge about oral cancer among most of the population surveyed was evaluated as either fair or poor.