Dentists need more training in oral cancer detection
6/3/2007 Lisle, IL Ben Wasserman foodconsumer.org Dentists need more training to properly screen oral cancer and provide risk assessment and counseling, suggests a study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and published in the Journal of Public Health Dentistry. The study found more than 92 percent of dentists in Illinois performed oral cancer examinations for their patients, but many were not performing the procedures thoroughly or at optimum intervals. Some dentists had no thorough understanding of oral cancer and were not doing all they should be doing to detect oral cancers, said Charles LeHew of the UIC Cancer Center's Center for Population Health and Health Disparities and the Institute for Health Research and Policy. Researchers surveyed more than 500 dentists in 19 counties in Illinois using a 38-item questionnaire for their knowledge of oral cancer prevention and early detection. And more than 60 percent responded to the survey. The results show that the majority of dentists correctly identified squamous cell carcinoma, the most common oral cancer. They also knew the most common sites for oral cancer and the most common type of early lesions. But many could not answer those questions correctly. Further, dentists lacked knowledge needed for risk assessment and counseling. Many did not know age is an important factor for oral cancer and some did not know tobacco and alcohol are two most important factors. The majority had received continuing education. But training in risk counseling was rare. Oral or pharyngeal cancer will be [...]