PREVENTION OF ORAL CANCER

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Oral soft tissue lesions, precancerous and cancers are among the most serious, and in the case of oral cancer, life-threatening, oral conditions. Risk factors for many of these cancers clearly are identified as co-morbidities with medical conditions and treatments and with high risk behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol use. These cancers and the risks leading to them are targets for health promotion and disease prevention. The Branch is pursuing research which identifies correlates of knowledge, opinions and practices associated with these oral conditions and brings focus to intervention research which could improve strategies to reduce the incidence of and prevalence of these conditions and associated risk behaviors. Staff have analyzed the 1990 and 1992 NHIS data regarding knowledge of risks, signs and symptoms of oral cancer and having had oral cancer examinations. Both analyses were published. Staff are collaborating with several investigators from the Maryland Department of Health and the University of Maryland regarding statewide surveys of the knowledge, opinions and practices of the public and health care providers (dentists, dental hygienists, nurse practitioners and physicians) regarding oral cancers. These and other data will be used to plan educational interventions that could serve as a state model for oral cancer prevention and early detection. In addition, national surveys of dental and medical schools assessing risk factors of patients for oral cancer have been conducted; one has been published, the other has been accepted for publication. Staff have collaborated with other agencies to conduct two national surveys of dentists and dental hygienists regarding their knowledge and practices of oral cancers. Staff prepared one of the background papers for use at the national strategic planning conference for the prevention and control of Oral and Pharyngeal cancers which was sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, NIDR and the American Dental Association. Staff currently are members of and participate on the Ad Hoc Oral Cancer Workgroup.