Barriers to early diagnosis and management of oral cancer in Latin America and the Caribbean
Josefina Martínez‐Ramírez, Cristina Saldivia‐Siracusa, Leonor‐Victoria González‐Pérez, Florence Juana María Cuadra Zelaya, Roberto Gerber‐Mora, Osmani Fabricio Guevara Cabrera, Ronell Bologna‐Molina, Gerardo Gilligan, Wilson Delgado‐Azañero, Arvind Babu Rajendra Santosh, Wilfredo Alejandro González‐Arriagada, Mariana Villarroel‐Dorrego, Bernardo Venegas Rojas, Karen Patricia Domínguez Gallagher, Elena María José Román Tager, Saray Aranda‐Romo, Gilda Lucía García‐Heredia, Efrain Cima Garcia, Ileana Hurtado, Claudette Arambú Turcios, Leira Patricia Solis Espinal, Rúben Alexander Martínez González, Ana Carolina Prado Ribeiro, Rejane Faria Ribeiro‐Rotta, Luiz Paulo Kowalski, María Paula Curado, Tatiana Natasha Toporcov, Thomas P. Sollecito, André Lopes Carvalho, Márcio Ajudarte Lopes, Saman Warnakulasuriya, Alan Roger Santos‐Silva
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.