Preventive Examinations for Early Detection of Oral Cancer Conducted among Alcohol Addicts

Aim: This study evaluated oral cancer (OC) awareness, risk factors, preventive measures, and early detection in high-risk populations. Materials and methods: Participants included an experimental group (EG) of patients treated for alcohol-related mental disorders at University Hospital Center Sestre milosrdnice (June 2022-March 2023) and a control group (CG) screened during the Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week (April 2023) at the University of Zagreb’s School of Dental Medicine. Both groups were surveyed to evaluate their understanding of OC, their opinions, smoking and alcohol consumption habits. Results: In a study of 282 participants, 68.1 % were in the EG and 31.9 % in the CG, with a gender distribution of 34.4 % female and 65.2 % male, and a median age of 52. Smoking was more prevalent in the EG (72.5 %) than in the CG (24.4 %). The EG also had significantly lower education levels (p < 0.009). Awareness of OC was high in both groups (73.2 % EG, 85.4 % CG), but only a small fraction had previously attended screening examinations (SE) (6.9 % EG, 18.7 % CG). A large majority believed that alcohol and smoking together increased OC risk (95.7 % EG, 98.7 % CG), and many expressed interest in learning more about OC (83.2 % EG, 75.3 % CG). Higher education was linked to more frequent SE attendance (p = 0.041) and lower smoking rates (p = 0.042). Conclusion: The study highlights the need for enhanced OC education and screening, especially among high-risk groups, to improve prevention and early detection efforts.