Oral Cancer Risk and Screening Prevalence Among Hospitalized Women

Background Oral cancer screenings are often on the back burner in the face of other cancer screenings. In high-risk individuals, early detection of oral cancer has a better prognosis and survival. Hospitalization may offer an opportunity to target high-risk populations. This study evaluates the prevalence of women at high risk for oral cancer among hospitalized women and their preference for oral cancer screening. Design and participants Five hundred and ten cancer-free women admitted to the hospital under the internal medicine service at an academic center were enrolled to participate in the study. Three hundred and seventy women were at high risk for developing oral cancer, defined by smoking status, alcohol use, or both. High-risk women received bedside smoking cessation counseling and oral cancer informational handouts and were offered oral screening examinations during hospitalization. Six months after discharge, study participants received a follow-up phone call to determine if these women discussed oral cancer screening with their primary care physicians at the follow-up visit. Results Seventy-three percent of the hospitalized women were at high risk for developing oral cancer. Fifty-seven percent of high-risk women reported having no primary dentist. High-risk women were more likely to be younger, reported a disability, and had a lower comorbidity burden than the average-risk group. Only 41% of high-risk hospitalized women received oral cancer screening examinations during the hospital stay. Post-hospitalization, 66% of high-risk patients discussed oral cancer screening with their primary care. Conclusion Almost three-fourths of hospitalized women are at high risk for developing oral cancer. Hospitalization provides an opportunity to educate and screen high-risk populations.