Knowledge about risk factors associated with oral cancer in adults residing in the municipality of San Salvador

Abstract

Oral cancer has been defined as the disease caused by the abnormal and uncontrolled division of cells formed in tissues of the oral cavity and oropharynx. However, the level of knowledge about this disease may be limited in the population. This becomes a problem because its early identification and detection guarantee an increase in the survival rate and an improvement in the quality of life as a consequence of less aggressive medical treatments. For the research, a total of 300 adult participants from the municipality of San Salvador, capital of El Salvador, were surveyed about their knowledge of risk factors associated with this disease. The results indicated a low degree of information on the part of the population, in particular, based on gender. The findings are a first approximation to delve into the variations in the social fabric. This allows us to understand the need to design intervention strategies oriented to population characteristics.