1. Barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Author
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Martínez-Ramírez J, Saldivia-Siracusa C, González-Pérez LV, Cuadra Zelaya FJM, Gerber-Mora R, Cabrera OFG, Bologna-Molina R, Gilligan G, Delgado-Azañero W, Rajendra Santosh AB, González-Arriagada WA, Villarroel-Dorrego M, Rojas BV, Gallagher KPD, Tager EMJR, Aranda-Romo S, García-Heredia GL, Garcia EC, Hurtado I, Turcios CA, Espinal LPS, González RAM, Prado Ribeiro AC, Ribeiro-Rotta RF, Kowalski LP, Curado MP, Toporcov TN, Sollecito TP, Carvalho AL, Lopes MA, Warnakulasuriya S, and Santos-Silva AR
- Subjects
- Humans, Latin America, Cross-Sectional Studies, Caribbean Region, Surveys and Questionnaires, Telemedicine, Female, Health Services Accessibility, Male, Referral and Consultation, Adult, Attitude of Health Personnel, Mouth Neoplasms diagnosis, Mouth Neoplasms therapy, Early Detection of Cancer
- Abstract
Objective: This study aimed to explore perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer, as well as potential pathways for improvement in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC)., Methods: This cross-sectional study used a self-administered online questionnaire created via the Research Electronic Data Capture platform. The survey was distributed to health professionals trained in Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, and Dentists with clinical and academic expertise in oral potentially malignant disorder (OPMD) and oral cancer. Data obtained were systematically organized and analyzed descriptively using Microsoft Excel., Results: Twenty-three professionals from 21 LAC countries participated. Major barriers included the limited implementation of OPMD and oral cancer control plans (17.4%), low compulsory reporting for OPMD (8.7%) and oral cancer (34.8%), unclear referral pathways for OPMD (34.8%) and oral cancer (43.5%), and a shortage of trained professionals (8.7%). Participants endorsed the utility of online education (100%) and telemedicine (91.3%)., Conclusion: The survey highlights major perceived barriers to early diagnosis and management of OPMD and oral cancer in LAC, as well as potential avenues for improvement., (© 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)
- Published
- 2024
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