Abstract

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) defines Oral health as “a state of being free from chronic mouth and facial pain, oral and throat cancer, oral sores, birth defects such as cleft lip and palate, periodontal (gum) disease, tooth decay and tooth loss, and other diseases or disorders that affect the oral cavity”. Cancer of Oral cavity which may occurs in any part of the mouth or throat. Oral cancer may occur on the lips or anywhere within mouth like tongue, floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, hard and soft palate.

Aim: To assess the level of knowledge on oral cancer among the attendant of cancer patients and associate the knowledge on oral cancer with demographic variables.

Results: This study included 297 patient attendants 61.6% of the study participants were males and 38.4 % of them were females who were attended RCC OPD. Among them 3 (1.01%) have excellent knowledge, 56 (18.85%) have very good knowledge, 109 (36.7%) have good knowledge, 102 (34.34%) have average knowledge and 27 (9.09%) have poor knowledge. 185 (62.3%) participants have the family history of cancer and 112 (37.7%) participants do not have any family history of cancer. This study also suggests 35 (11.8%) have the habit of smoking, 37 (12.5%) of them were alcoholic, 2 (0.7%) of them have the habit of smoking and tobacco chewing.

Conclusion: The study concludes that the knowledge on oral cancer is less among patient attendant and there were significant association between family history and personal habits.