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. 2020 Jul 7;17(13):4889.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph17134889.

A Snapshot of Knowledge about Oral Cancer in Italy: A 505 Person Survey

Riccardo Nocini  1 , Giorgia Capocasale  2 , Daniele Marchioni  1 , Francesca Zotti  2
Affiliations

A Snapshot of Knowledge about Oral Cancer in Italy: A 505 Person Survey

Riccardo Nocini et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Objectives: Patients' knowledge about oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) plays an important role in primary prevention, early diagnosis, and prognosis and survival rate. The aim of this study was to assess OSCC awareness attitudes among general population in order to provide information for educational interventions. Methods: A survey delivered as a web-based questionnaire was submitted to 505 subjects (aged from 18 to 76 years) in Italy, and the answers collected were statistically analyzed. Information was collected about existence, incidence, features of lesions, risk factors of oral cancer, and self-inspection habits, together with details about professional reference figures and preventive behaviors. Results: Chi-square tests of independence with adjusted standardized residuals highlighted correlations between population features (age, gender, educational attainment, provenance, medical relationship, or previous diagnoses of oral cancer in family) and knowledge about oral cancer. Conclusions: Knowledge about OSCC among the Italian population is limited, and it might be advisable to implement nudging and sensitive customized campaigns in order to promote awareness and therefore improve the prognosis of this disease.

Keywords: diagnostic delay; oral cancer; patients awareness.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Answers related to knowledge of OSCC.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Answers related to cases of OSCC per year in Italy.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Pie chart of answers related to knowledge of OSCC risk factors.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Pie chart of answers related to knowledge of features of OSCC.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Pie chart of answers related to habits of self-inspection.
Figure 6
Figure 6
Pie chart of answers related to time waited before seeking medical attention.
Figure 7
Figure 7
Answers to questions about professional reference figures.
Figure 8
Figure 8
Answers about habits of routine dental visits.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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