Assessment of Head and Neck Cancer Knowledge and Awareness Levels among Undergraduate Dental Students at King Abdulaziz University Faculty of Dentistry

Abstract

This aim of this study was to assess head and neck cancer (HNC) knowledge and awareness levels at King Abdulaziz University, Faculty of Dentistry (KAUFD), and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia to identify gaps in knowledge. An e‒questionnaire was distributed to 4th‒6th‒year dental students and interns (n=591). The questionnaire assessed HNC background, attitude toward screening, ability to recognize clinical presentation, patients’ education and management, and questions to identify the courses in which HNC knowledge was obtained. The response rate was 73.7%. Nearly half of the participants felt they had insufficient knowledge about HNC. Tobacco was identified as one of the top three risk factors by the majority of the participants, but alcohol consumption and human papillomavirus (HPV) were poorly identified. Only 52.5% of the participants completed full HNC screening, and others focused on common areas such as the tongue (46.6%) and the floor of the mouth (37.3%). Roughly half of the participants (58.4%) were able to identify the clinical presentation of malignant lesions. Almost all of the participants would manage a patient by referral, and 70.1% thought that patients should be followed up for life. This study highlighted the lack of knowledge and awareness in several aspects of the HNC area among undergraduate dental students at KAUFD. Efficient modifications should be implemented in clinical training and the curriculum of the dental school to improve knowledge and attitudes toward HNC screening and management, which will ensure early detection of the disease in our population and improve prognosis and treatment outcomes.