Knowledge on oral cancer among dentistry students at Federal University
               of Maranhão

Gomes, Samira Vasconcelos; Conceição, Thalita Santana; Neves, Pierre Adriano Moreno; Lopes, Fernanda Ferreira; Cruz, Maria Carmen Fontoura Nogueira da

doi:10.1590/1807-2577.1057

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Revista de Odontologia da UNESP

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Original Articles • Rev. odontol. UNESP 44 (1) • Jan-Feb 2015 • https://doi.org/10.1590/1807-2577.1057 copy

Knowledge on oral cancer among dentistry students at Federal University of Maranhão

Conhecimento sobre o câncer oral entre estudantes de odontologia da Universidade Federal do Maranhão

Authorship SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS

INTRODUCTION:

Oral cancer is a multifactorial disease of high incidence worldwide and considered a public health problem, in which prevention and early diagnosis are the best ways to reverse this situation.

PURPOSE:

To evaluate the level of knowledge on oral cancer in a population of dentistry students.

METHOD:

A questionnaire on oral cancer was applied to 150 students from six classes, divided into three groups according to their semesters. The variables studied were statistically analyzed by applying the chi-square test with confidence interval of 95% and significance level of 5%.

RESULT:

Eighty-eight students (60.61%) considered their level of knowledge on oral cancer good and regular, while 37.93% rated their knowledge as insufficient. Squamous cell carcinoma was listed as the most common cancer by only 38.25% of students, with the highest percentage of correct answers being observed for groups 2 (55.56%) and 3 (67.39%). The level of knowledge on the risk factors increased over the semesters; however, 77.85% considered their level of confidence to perform diagnostic procedures low.

CONCLUSION:

The level of knowledge on oral cancer was considered good or regular among dentistry students, and although they showed good level of knowledge on the risk factors and to specific issues of the disease, there is a clear need to implement continued educational measures throughout the course to consolidate learning on this disease.

Mouth neoplasms; health knowledge, attitudes, practice; dentistry students

VARIABLE	CATEGORY	GROUP1 (n=58)		GROUP2 (n=45)		GROUP3 (n=47)		TOTAL		p
VARIABLE	CATEGORY	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	p
Smoking	Yes	1	1.79	1	2.33	0	0	2	1.37	0.68
	No	55	98.21	41	95.35	46	97.87	142	97.26
	Stopped	0	0	1	2.33	1	2.13	2	1.37
Self-evaluation knowledge level	Great	0	0	2	4.65	0	0	2	1.38	<0.01
	Good	1	1.75	11	25.58	14	31.11	26	17.93
	Regular	17	29.82	24	55.81	21	46.67	62	42.76
	Insufficient	39^a	68.42	6^b	13.95	10^b.c	22.22	55	37.93
Referral of patients	Self-assessment	0	0	0	0	1.	2.13	1	0.69	<0.01
	Dentist	28^a	50.91	24^a	55.81	37^b	78.72	89	61.38
	Physician	13	23.64	12	27.91	1	2.13	26	17.93
	Dental Faculty	0	0	1	2.33	2	4.26	3	2.07
	Hospital	14	25.45	6	13.95	5	10.64	25	17.24
	Awaits	0	0	0	0	1	2.13	1	0.69

VARIABLE	CATEGORY	GROUP1 (n=58)		GROUP2 (n=45)		GROUP3 (n=47)		TOTAL		p
VARIABLE	CATEGORY	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	p
Most common cancer types	Correct (OSCC)	1^a	1.72	25^b	55.56	31^b.c	67.39	57	38.25	<0.01
	Incorrect	6	10.34	9	20	7	15.22	22	14.76
	Do not know	51	87.93	11	24.44	8	17.39	70	46.98
Mostaffected site	Correct (Tongue)	0^a	0	4^b	8.89	16^c	34.04	20	13.33	<0.01
	Incorrect	17	29.31	28	62.22	20	42.55	65	43.33
	Do not know	41	70.69	13	28.89	11	23.40	65	43.33
Most common aspect	Correct (Ulcer)	8^a	13.79	29^b	64.44	27^b.c	57.45	64	42.66	<0.01
	Incorrect	7	12.07	12	26.67	10	21.28	29	19.33
	Do not know	43	74.14	4	8.89	10	21.28	57	38
Age group	Correct (> 40)	10^a	17.54	36^b	80	32^b.c	68.09	78	52.34	<0.01
	Incorrect	4	7.02	4	8.89	3	6.38	11	7.38
	Do not know	43	75.44	5	11.11	12	25.53	60	40.27
Aspectofcervical metastasis	Correct(Stiff, no pain)	3^a	5,26	17^b	37,78	16^b,c	34,78	36	24,32	<0,01
	Incorrect	5	8.77	12	26.67	11	23.91	28	18.92
	Do not know	49	85.96	16	35.56	19	41.30	84	56.76
Stage of diagnosis in Brazil	Correct (Advanced)	16^a	28.07	30^b	66.67	28^b.c	60.87	74	50	<0.01
	Incorrect	4	7.02	5	11.11	8	17.39	17	11.49
	Do not know	37	64.91	10	22.22	10	21.74	57	38.51
Precursor lesion	Correct (Leukoplasia)	1^a	1.79	26^b	57.78	31^b.c	67.39	58	39.45	<0.01
	Incorrect	6	10.71	12	26.67	9	19.57	27	18.36
	Do not know	49	87.50	7	15.56	6	13.04	62	42.18

VARIABLE	CATEGORY	GROUP 1 (n=58)		GROUP2 (n= 45)		GROUP3 (n=47)		TOTAL		p
VARIABLE	CATEGORY	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	p
Injectable drugs	Yes	34	59.65	16	35.56	14	29.79	64	42.95	<0.01
(No)	No	23^a	40.35	29^b	64.44	33^b.c	70.21	85	57.05	<0.01
Previous cancer	Yes	36^a	62.07	40^b	88.89	39^b.c	82.98	115	77.18	<0.01
(Yes)	No	22	37.93	5	11.11	8	17.02	35	22.82	<0.01
Alcohol	Yes	37^a	63.79	38^b	86.36	46^b.c	97.87	121	81.21	<0.01
(Yes)	No	21	36.21	6	13.64	1	2.13	28	18.79	<0.01
Tobacco	Yes	57	98.28	45	100	47	100	149	99.33	0.45
(Yes)	No	1	1.72	0	0	0	0	1	0.67	0.45
Family history of cancer	Yes	55	96.43	44	97.78	43	91.49	142	95.3	0.31
(Yes)	No	2	3.51	1	2.22	4	8.51	7	4.7	0.31
Emotional stress	Yes	33	56.9	31	68.89	28	59.57	92	61.33	0.44
(No)	No	25	43	14	31.11	19	40.43	58	38.66	0.44
Low consumption of fruits and vegetables	Yes	27	46.55	18	40	23	48.94	68	45.33	0.67
(No)	No	31	53.45	27	60	24	51.06	82	54.67	0.67
Oral sex	Yes	29	50	29	64.44	24	51.06	82	54.67	0.28
(Yes)	No	29	50	16	35.56	23	48.94	68	45.33	0.28
Ill-fitting dentures	Yes	38	65.52	39	86.67	46	97.87	123	82	<0.01
(No)	No	20^a	34.48	6^b	13.33	1^b.c	2.13	27	18	<0.01
Teeth in poor condition	Yes	34	59.65	24	53.33	27	57.45	85	57.05	0.81
(No)	No	23	40.35	21	46.67	20	42.55	64	42.95	0.81
Consumption of spicy foods	Yes	24	41.38	19	42.22	21	44.68	64	42.67	0.94
(No)	No	34	58.62	26	57.78	26	55.32	86	57.33	0.94
Poor oral hygiene	Yes	47	81.03	37	82.22	36	76.6	120	80	0.77
(No)	No	11	18.97	8	17.78	11	23.4	30	20	0.77
Direct contagion	Yes	18	31.03	7	15.56	5	10.64	30	20	0.02
(No)	No	40^a	68.97	38^a.b	84.44	42^b	89.36	120	80	0.02
Sun exposure	Yes	18^a	31.03	35^b	77.78	41^b.c	87.23	94	62.67	<0.01
(Yes)	No	40	68.97	10	22.22	6	12.77	56	37.33	<0.01
Hot drinks and food	Yes	11	19.3	12	26.67	24	51.06	47	31.54	<0.01
(No)	No	46^a	80.7	33^a	73.33	23^b	48.94	102	68.46	<0.01
Obesity	Yes	17	29.82	8	17.78	12	26.09	37	25	0.37
(No)	No	40	70.18	37	82.22	34	73.91	111	75	0.37

VARIABLE	CATEGORY	GROUP1 (n=58)		GROUP2 (n=45)		GROUP3 (n=47)		TOTAL		p
VARIABLE	CATEGORY	n	%	n	%	n	%	n	%	p
Patients are informed about oral cancer	Yes	2	3.45	0	0	0	0	2	1.33	0.84
	No	53	91.38	45	100	47	100	145	96.67
	Do not know	3	5.17	0	0	0	0	3	2
Level of confidence to perform diagnosis procedures	High	1	1.71	0	0	1	2.17	2	1.34	<0.01
	Low	33^a	56.90	42^b	93.33	41^b.c	89.13	116	77.85
	Do not know	24	41.38	3	6.67	4	8.70	31	20.81
University informed about oral cancer	Yes	6	10.34	5	11.11	5	10.64	16	10.67	<0.01
	No	10^a	17.24	31^b	68.89	40^b.c	85.11	81	54
	Do not know	42	72.41	9	20	2	4.26	53	35.33
Last time a course about oral cancer was attended	Last year	0	0	7	15.56	5	10.64	12	8	<0.01
	During the last 2 to 5 years	0	0	2	4.44	18	38.30	20	13.33
	Never	54^a	93.10	22^b	48.89	10^c	21.28	86	57.33
	Do not remember	4	6.90	14	31.11	14	29.79	32	21.33
Interest in attending a course on oral cancer	Yes	54	93.10	43	95.56	42	89.36	139	92.67	0.66
	No	1	1.72	0	0	2	4.26	3	2
	Not sure	3	5.17	2	4.44	3	6.38	8	5.33
Importance of dentist in prevention of oral cancer	High	56	96.55	45	100	47	100	148	98.67	0.52
	Average	1	1.72	0	0	0	0	1	0.67
	Do not know	1	1.72	0	0	0	0	1	0.67

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[1] *CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Maria Carmen Fontoura Nogueira da Cruz, Departamento de Odontologia II, Av. dos Portugueses, 1966, Bacanga, 65080-805 São Luís - MA, Brasil, e-mail: ma.carmen@uol.com.br