Oral and oropharyngeal cancer – education and knowledge of primary healthcare professionals in the south of England

INTRODUCTION The incidence of oral and oropharyngeal cancer (OC/OPC) is rising, and many of the risks are preventable. As NHS dentistry has become difficult to access, patients prefer to see their general health practitioners (GHPs), who are assuming greater responsibility for detecting OC/OPC. This study investigates the level of education, knowledge and diagnostic proficiency of GHPs in detecting OC/OPC in the South of England. METHODS We conducted an observational, cross-sectional study of GHPs using a 22-part questionnaire, assessing education at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, confidence in diagnosis, history-taking ability, examination techniques and knowledge of the referral processes when managing OC/OPC. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. RESULTS A total of 137 GHPs returned the questionnaire from 71 different General Practices (GPs); 71.8% and 88.7% of GHPs received less than 1 week of OC/OPC teaching during undergraduate and postgraduate education, respectively. Overall, 47.8% of GHPs felt confident in their ability to detect OC/OPC; 67.8% and 45.5% of GHPs did not identify lichen planus and erythroplakia as signs of malignancy. Qualitative responses revealed limited undergraduate and postgraduate training did not adequately prepare them for recognition of subtle mucosal lesions and uncertainty about mucosal premalignant signs. CONCLUSION With increasing pressure on GHPs to detect OC/OPC, it is important to understand their knowledge of OC/OPC and to address the potential knowledge gap. These findings highlight the urgent need for targeted continuing professional development (CPD) and for embedding OC/OPC awareness within existing referral and electronic record systems to support earlier diagnosis.