Oral Cancer Awareness of Tertiary Education Students and General Public in Singapore

Incidence, mortality and survival rates of lip, oral cavity and salivary glands cancers in Singapore: A half‐century time trend analysis (1968–2017)

“…11 Therefore, in Singapore, the combination of high taxes and import control on alcohol and tobacco products to reduce access and abuse, the banishing of electronic cigarettes utilization, the presence of religions where alcohol consumption is forbidden along with other practices that can induce loss of self-control, may explain the lower prevalence of oral cancer in the population compared to other countries. [12][13][14] Although the overall incidence oral cancer has decreased over time, males persist have higher incidence and mortality rates than women. This finding is not surprising, as smoking and binge drinking are usually more prevalent among males, and so is their co-occurrence.…”

“…A survey conducted among medical and dental students at the National University of Singapore and laypeople from across the island indicated that oral cancer was the second least known cancer among the general public. 14 Thus, room for oral cancer awareness has been identified in Singapore in the population. The authors have also identified potential avenues for effective oral cancer awareness campaigns, which include the use of social media by governmental health agencies and the integration of oral cancer into interdisciplinary health education programs.…”

“…The authors have also identified potential avenues for effective oral cancer awareness campaigns, which include the use of social media by governmental health agencies and the integration of oral cancer into interdisciplinary health education programs. 14 The median OS for oral cavity cancer (3 years) which means that 50% of the population diagnosed with oral cancer lived 3 years and over. For most countries, the overall five-year survival rates for cancers of the tongue, oral cavity, oropharynx are around 50%-60%.…”

“…Despite these genetic modifications, some decades after smoking cessation, for example, methylation can revert to the same levels of a never‐smoking person, gradually reducing the overall risk of cancer 11 . Therefore, in Singapore, the combination of high taxes and import control on alcohol and tobacco products to reduce access and abuse, the banishing of electronic cigarettes utilization, the presence of religions where alcohol consumption is forbidden along with other practices that can induce loss of self‐control, may explain the lower prevalence of oral cancer in the population compared to other countries 12–14 . Although the overall incidence oral cancer has decreased over time, males persist have higher incidence and mortality rates than women.…”

“…Although Singaporean health professionals have sufficient knowledge to identify known risk factors for oral cancer, this is not the case for the general public. A survey conducted among medical and dental students at the National University of Singapore and laypeople from across the island indicated that oral cancer was the second least known cancer among the general public 14 . Thus, room for oral cancer awareness has been identified in Singapore in the population.…”