Oral cancer: A small hospital-based study in Delhi has found that patients arriving with oral cancer knew virtually nothing about the disease’s early warning signs, or where to get screened at no cost.
Researchers at Maulana Azad Medical College interviewed 116 adults with biopsy-confirmed oral cancer treated at Lok Nayak Hospital between August 2023 and June 2024. Most participants came from upper-lower or lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
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Every patient reported being unaware of early symptoms and how to self-check, while awareness of free government screening was almost nonexistent (0.9%). Only 7.8% had even heard of laws that regulate tobacco.
Tobacco exposure was widespread. 54% used smokeless tobacco, 10.3% smoked, and 27.6% did both; daily use was common. After diagnosis, just over half (52.6%) said they quit. The findings, published in ecancermedicalscience, point to a persistent disconnect between risk and recognition.
The authors say closing that gap will take a multi-pronged push: clearer public messaging on the link between tobacco, especially smokeless forms, and oral cancer, routine mouth checks embedded into primary care visits and outreach camps, and better training for frontline workers and clinicians so they can educate patients and perform quick oral examinations.
