Graduating dental students' perceptions of oral cancer education: results of an exit survey of seven dental schools.

Method: A 22-question exit survey was administered on a voluntary basis to senior dental students at seven dental schools in order to evaluate perceptions regarding their knowledge and skills in oral cancer control. The questions encompassed prevention, role of tobacco, lesion recognition, diagnostic techniques, and patient management.

Results: The range of responses was broad between students as well as schools regarding didactic and clinical exposures, and confidence in abilities to manage oral cancer patients.

Evaluation of oral cancer screening.

Background: Oral cancer screening procedures are designed to collectively allow early detection of cancers in a body area accessible to visual and physical examination, as well as to facilitate timely treatment, awareness, and the ongoing education of the public.

Methods: A state fair was selected for this activity because of the availability of a random population compatible with meeting these goals. A total of 1,151 individuals participated in this free elective activity.

The carcinogenic risks of alcoholic beverages: implications for cancer education.

The proper analysis of the data generated by studies of carcinogenic risks of drinking alcoholic beverages would be the application of models from the relatively new approach of meta-analysis. In this study, 441 articles were generated by a 1992 MEDLINE search of the key words "alcohol drinking" and "cancer." Of these, only 29 met the criteria for a formal meta-analysis.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract in patients 40 years of age and younger.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma in patients 40 years of age and younger has been noted to be infrequent. The incidence is not as noticeable because the majority of oral cancers are diagnosed during the later decades of life. This study was undertaken to evaluate the incidence, site predilection, etiologic factors, and modes of treatment and to compare these results with available data on this topic.