AWARENESS AND RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH ORAL CANCER IN GENERAL PUBLIC OF LAHORE

Abstract

Background: The high incidence of oral cancer in Asian countries is attributed mainly to smoking habits and the use of smokeless tobacco, which is very common in Pakistan. It is a significant global health concern, as cancer can develop inside the mouth, affecting the lips, gums, tongue and lining of the cheek. A timely recognition of signs in general population can aid to curb the advancement of disease by early detection which is only possible if the community is well aware with the knowledge of risk factors associated with oral cancer.

Objective: This survey-based study was adopted to gauge the level knowledge and necessary awareness required regarding oral cancer in the general population of Lahore.

Materials and Methods: For the purpose of this study, a self-administered questionnaire was employed using cross-sectional survey-based design and participants were selected using convenience sampling method in Lahore. A total of 398 people participated in this study; the collected data were analyzed via descriptive statistics.

Results: Only 56.8% of the participants were familiar with oral cancer. The participants identified “smoking” and use of “smokeless tobacco” u as the major risk factors that contributed to oral cancer such that 95.6% participants acknowledged the risk due to   smoking and 70.9% of the participants acknowledged the potential risk due to smokeless tobacco use. It was quite concerning that just 67.4% of the participants successfully identified red lesions, while only 38.8% recognized white lesions as early signs of oral cancer.

Conclusions: The results indicate that the extent of knowledge concerning oral cancer in the subject population is not up to the mark. Hence, implementing educational and awareness programs such as seminars and workshops should be held to increase the awareness of public population in Lahore.