ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the participation of Canadian oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) in the various phases of oral, lip, and oropharyngeal cancer care. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A survey was conducted to quantify participation in oral, lip, and oropharyngeal cancer care and assess participation ranging from screening for malignancy to active treatment and rehabilitation of those with late-stage disease. RESULTS: Three hundred ninety-one surgeons were contacted and 206 (52.7%) responded to the online survey. The survey showed 98.1% of respondents were involved with cancer screening and 97.1% were involved in prevention and early intervention (monitoring and treatment) of premalignant lesions. In addition, 95.1% of respondents participated in diagnosis and staging of tumors. Early-stage cancer was managed surgically by 49.5% of respondents, whereas 11.2% of respondents managed late-stage disease. Management of oral rehabilitation was performed by 79.0% of respondents. CONCLUSION: OMSs are an integral part of all phases of oral and oropharyngeal cancer care, including primary surgical oncology, in Canada. Although OMSs in Canada participate widely in integral prevention and survivor rehabilitation programs, few members participate in late-stage disease management and regional multidisciplinary care teams.
Subject(s)
Lip Neoplasms/surgery , Mouth Neoplasms/surgery , Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons/statistics & numerical data , Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/surgery , Canada , Dibenzocycloheptenes , Humans , Lip Neoplasms/diagnosis , Lip Neoplasms/therapy , Mouth Neoplasms/diagnosis , Mouth Neoplasms/therapy , Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/diagnosis , Oropharyngeal Neoplasms/therapy , Physician's Role , Practice Patterns, Physicians'/statistics & numerical dataABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Oral, lip and oropharyngeal cancer accounts for up to 75% of head and neck cancers. Dental professionals contribute to improved treatment outcomes through early detection of these cancers. Oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMFS) are trained to participate in numerous phases of care for patients with oral, lip and oropharyngeal cancer. OBJECTIVE: To quantify the participation of Ontario OMFS in various phases of oral, lip and oropharyngeal cancer care. METHODS: A survey assessing participation of Ontario OMFS in screening, education, prevention, diagnosis, surgical oncology, reconstruction and rehabilitation of patients with oral, lip and oropharyngeal cancer was conducted in January and February 2013. RESULTS: Of the 210 OMFS registered with the Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, 191 were contacted, and 95 (49.7%) responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 98.9% were involved in cancer screening, 96.8% were involved in prevention and early intervention (monitoring and treatment) of premalignant lesions and 94.7% participated in diagnosis and staging. Early stage oral, lip and oropharyngeal cancer was managed surgically by 44.1% of the respondents, while 6.4% managed late-stage disease. Oral rehabilitation was managed by 77.7% of respondents. CONCLUSION: OMFS are an integral part of all phases of oral and oropharyngeal cancer care including primary surgical oncology in Ontario. Dental professionals can help improve outcomes of this care through early identification of cancer using surveillance examinations at all routine dental visits. This early detection contributes directly to disease-free survival and quality of life.
