Awareness of oral cancer in the Mersey region

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess the levels of awareness and knowledge about oral cancer in the Liverpool area. This included the awareness of oral cancer compared to other cancers, risk factors, symptoms and where people would go to seek advice in the event of experiencing oral cancer symptoms. Five hundred and thirty-five people agreed to take part in a street survey that was done in four locations (Liverpool city centre, Bootle, Crosby, and Southport). A quota sampling approach was used to achieve a reasonable balance by sex, age, and locality. When asked without prompting to name all the cancers they had heard of, oral cancer was stated first by only 1%; it was given within the first three responses by 4%, and by 11% overall. Cervical cancer was mentioned without prompting by 22%, and two-thirds thought that it was more common than oral cancer. When asked without prompting 74% were aware that smoking could be a likely cause, but only 21% mentioned alcohol. Without prompting, 35% said that a non-healing mouth ulcer was a symptom of oral cancer. When asked without prompting what they would do if a painful mouth ulcer had lasted for more than three weeks, 61% said they would see their doctor and 27% their dentist, which is encouraging.