Preventing Oral Cancer in Scotland with Dr. Victor Lopes

Dr. Victor Lopes, from the University of Edinburgh, spoke with Dr. John O’Keefe about increasing awareness and advocating about oral cancer through their campaign, “Let’s Talk About Mouth Cancer.”

Highlights

Dr. Victor Lopes, consultant Oral Maxillofacial surgeon, and his colleagues in Edinburgh, Scotland take an active role in raising awareness and advocating about oral cancer through their campaign, “Let’s Talk About Mouth Cancer.”

The main elements of this campaign consist of:

• Promoting awareness and advocacy in the prevention of oral cancer
• Emphasizing that early detection of oral cancer is key for survival
• Educating the public as well as professional about the importance of risk factors associated with oral cancer – HPV vaccine, tobacco cessation and alcohol consumption

Messaging is directed to the profession through continuous professional development through formalized education as well as the public via information booths or kiosks in public places such as shopping centres or football stadiums. Public information campaigns also encourage and teach people how to check their own mouths for early signs of oral cancer.

Currently, early assessment of their captured digital media coverage suggests that ~200,000 people have been encountered; however, it is challenging to establish a follow-up process with these individuals. As a result, a strategy on finding a more captive group of people that can be communicated with and followed over a long period of time is being developed.

Based on what we know about oral cancer, it is important that dental professionals discuss the signs and symptoms and risk factors of the disease with their patients. This, alone, can bring much needed awareness to the issue.

Watch the short version of the video interview

Watch the full version of the video interview