1 research outputs found
Prevention and early diagnosis of oral carcinoma in construction workers in Italy: a pilot project
Objectives: A research project on occupational exposure in relation to oral carcinoma was periodic compulsory check-ups, oral
examinations were performed to detect pathologies and the prevalence of potentially neoplastic oral conditions and a selfassessment
questionnaire was administered to all of the subjects. The questionnaire was structured to collect information regarding
demographic and clinical characteristics, risk habits (tobacco and alcohol consumption) and oral health habits, and to allow an
assessment of knowledge about oral cancer, related risk factors and early signs. Results: The study cohort included people with
different ethnicities, and there were significant differences in clinical characteristics between Italians and other Europeans. The
subjects showed a good knowledge about oral cancer and related risk factors (with correct answers provided to >50% of the
questions) but insufficient knowledge about the early signs of oral carcinoma (correct-answer rates of 16–42%). There were high
rates of habits that are potentially harmful to oral health, such as smoking (43.8%) and alcohol consumption (57%). The daily habit
of brushing teeth was present in 92.6% of the subjects, but they had a low propensity to undergo regular dental examinations. The
percentage of subjects with pathologies of the oral cavity was 18.6%. Conclusions: Despite the smallness of the sample, this pilot
project could facilitate the acquisition of valid and cost-effective data for the primary prevention of oral cancer through information
and educational campaigns on the related risk factors