needed to increase dental hygienists' knowledge of oral cancer risk fac- tors, correct ...... riculum at the Louisiana state university school of dentistry. J Cancer ...
Dental Hygienists' Knowledge, Opinions, and Practices Related to Oral and Pharyngeal Cancer Risk Assessment Jane L Forrest, RDH, EdD; Alice M. Horowitz, PhD; Yochi Shmuely, DSW
Introduction Each year in tbe United States approximately 31,000 people are diagnosed witb oral and pbaryngeal cancers. More than 8,000 individuals die from these malignancies, exceeding the death rates for cervical cancer, malignant melanoma, and Hodgkin's disease.'-^ It remains the sixth most common type of cancer for Caucasian males and fourtb most common type for African American males, who are more likely to be diagnosed at advanced stages than are whites.' Unfortunately, the incidence of oral cancer and the mortality rate bave remained relatively constant for all groups over tbe last 15 years.'"* For all sites and stages, tbe five-year survival rate is 52%; bowever, survival varies by stage of diagnosis.^* If detected eariy, the prognosis of survival for localized cases increases to 81 %, yet most oral cancer lesions are not diagnosed until tbey are in an advanced stage." At this point, survivors often experience cbronic pain, loss of function, and irreparable facial and oral disfigurement. Ideally, tbis situation should rarely occur given the American Cancer Society recommendations for an annual oral cancer examination for tbose 40 years or older, tbe knowledge of risk factors associated with oral cancer development, and the ability to visualize or palpate most sites wbere oral cancers occur."'
Volume 75 Issue IV Fall 2001
Abstract Methods. A pre-tested, validated 62-item survey was mailed to a 1% national random sampie of licensed dental hygienists. (n=960). Four complete mailings of the instrument resulted in a 74.4% percent return rate of which 65% percent were usable {n=464). Respondents provided information on their knowledge of oral cancer risk assessment factors, their use of health history questions to assess patients' oral cancer risks, how they conduct oral cancer examinations, and their beliefs about their oral cancer training. Data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics and evaluated at a significance level of p
