Awareness of head and neck cancer – a multicentre survey among young respondents in Poland

• Main Authors: Hempel, D. (Author), Krentowska, A. (Author), Pietruszewska, W. (Author), Sierko, E. (Author), Sierko-Nobis, E. (Author), Strzalka, A. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2018
• Subjects: adolescent; Adolescent; adult; Adult; attitude to health; awareness; clinical trial; early recognition; female; Female; Head and neck cancer; Head and Neck Neoplasms; head and neck tumor; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; health survey; Health Surveys; HPV; human; Humans; male; Male; multicenter study; Poland; prophylaxis; questionnaire; risk factor; risk factors; Risk Factors; school; Schools; student; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; Universities; university; young adult; Young Adult
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher

 Purpose: Head and neck cancer (HNC) is frequently diagnosed at an advanced stage of the disease, which results in suboptimal treatment outcomes, and leads to aesthetic and functional side-effects. Many risky behaviours associated with this type of cancer start at a young age. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of HNC awareness in the young population in Poland. Materials and methods: An anonymous online survey on HNC was conducted among 1903 people between the ages of 18 and 35 years. Closed-ended questions concerned HNC risk factors, symptoms and prognosis. Results: 85.1% of respondents were familiar with HNC. The main source of information was the Internet (57.3%); 78.2% of participants associated HNC occurrence with smoking, 43.4% with alcohol consumption and 37.2% with the human papillomavirus infection. The main risk factors mentioned by students of non-medical educational institutions included smoking, stress and excessive sunbathing. A quarter of respondents (37.7%, if medical students are excluded) were unaware of any early symptoms of HNC. The symptoms mentioned most frequently included chronic hoarseness (55.3%), a lump in the neck (51.8%) and chronic sore throat (51.4%). Over three-quarters of medical students and half of the remaining respondents connected early diagnosis with a better chance of being cured; 4.6% of medical students and 9.6% of students of other educational institutions would seek medical advice only when symptoms made everyday functioning impossible. Conclusions: The level of HNC cancer awareness in the young population is alarmingly low. A large number of non-medical students are unaware of risk factors and early symptoms. Educational campaigns aimed at effective prophylaxis, earlier diagnosis and treatment of HNC are needed. © 2018 FDI World Dental Federation