Screening for Oral Cancer 2018

Abstract

In Hungary, the incidence and mortality from oral cancer is so high, that in the past decades it has attracted international attention. The mortality rates are the highest in Europe. As risk factors, smoking and alcohol drinking have a multiplicative role; in addition, a number of dental factors also play a role. Premalignant conditions and lesions are well known. They should be targeted for early detection and early treatment. The screening tool is simple: inspection and palpation. The physician-patient encounters provide opportunity for screening. This paper looks for the answer to the long debated question: who is responsible for oral screening?