Feasibility, Reliability, and Effectiveness of Oral cancer screening in South Asia and Southeast Asian countries: A systematic review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of oral cancer is significantly high in South Asia and Southeast Asia. Organized screening is an effective approach to early detection. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the reliability, diagnostic accuracy, and effectiveness of visual oral screening by community health workers (CHWs) in identifying oral cancer/oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) in this region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a bibliographic search in PubMed, Scopus, the gray literature of Google Scholar, ProQuest dissertations, and additional manual searches. Twelve articles were included for qualitative synthesis and six for meta-analysis. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and forest plot analysis were performed. RESULTS: Meta-analysis showed CHWs identified 8% (n = 6365) as suspicious and 92% (n = 74,140) as normal. The diagnostic accuracy of visual oral screening by CHWs showed a sensitivity of 75% (CI: 74-76) and specificity of 97% (CI: 97-97) in the detection of OPMDs/oral cancer. Forest plots were obtained using a random effects model (DOR: 24.52 (CI: 22.65-26.55)) and SAUC: 0.96 (SE = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Oral visual examination by trained CHWs can be utilized for community screenings to detect oral cancer early. This approach can be used in primary healthcare to triage patients for further referral and management.

Holistic Approach for the Early Detection of Oral Cancer: A Comprehensive Training Module.

Objectives: Oral cancer is significantly high in India, and screening is an effective approach to downstage the disease. Educating Community Health Workers (CHWs) on early oral cancer detection is an effective step toward reducing the burden and serves as a first step toward facilitating the transfer of knowledge. Therefore, the purpose of this hands-on education was to equip CHWs with insight on the advanced diagnostics, preventive techniques, and innovations for the early detection of oral cancer. Materials and Methods: A total of 178 participants were trained in two groups: Group 1 received training for screening and primary prevention, while group 2 received training on updates in recent diagnostic adjuncts and innovations, AI-enabled point-of-care diagnostics, and essential patient care in management of Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders (OPMDs). Pre- and post-assessment questionnaires were used to evaluate the participants. Results: The knowledge assessment scores between the pre- and post-tests showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001), with rise in mean score of 3.99 from baseline. Six months following training, knowledge retention revealed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.001) in the participants' ability to recall the information. Conclusion: A well-structured training module can create awareness, impart knowledge and upskill the CHWs for early detection of oral cancer. Retraining of CHWs is required for knowledge retention post-training.

Consensus guidelines on management of oral potentially malignant disorders.

Oral cancer is usually preceded by oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and early detection can downstage the disease. The majority of OPMDs are asymptomatic in early stages and can be detected on routine oral examination. Though only a proportion of OPMDs may transform to oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), they may serve as a surrogate clinical lesion to identify individuals at risk of developing OSCC. Currently, there is a scarcity of scientific evidence on specific interventions and management of OPMDs and there is no consensus regarding their management. A consensus meeting with a panel of experts was convened to frame guidelines for clinical practices and recommendations for management strategies for OPMDs. A review of literature from medical databases was conducted to provide the best possible evidence and provide recommendations in management of OPMDs.

Mobile health application for remote oral cancer surveillance.

BACKGROUND: To determine the effectiveness of a mobile phone-based remote oral cancer surveillance program (Oncogrid) connecting primary care dental practitioners and frontline health care workers (FHW) with oral cancer specialists. METHODS: The study population (N = 3,440) included a targeted cohort (n = 2,000) and an opportunistic cohort (n = 1,440) screened by FHW and dental professionals, respectively. The authors compared the screening efficacy in both groups, with specialist diagnosis considered the reference standard. The outcomes measured were lesion detection and capture of interpretable images of the oral cavity. RESULTS: In the targeted cohort, among 51 of 81 (61%) interpretable images, 23 of 51 (45%) of the lesions were confirmed by specialists, while the opportunistic cohort showed 100% concordance with the specialists (106 of 106). Sixty-two of 129 (48%) of the recommended patients underwent biopsy; 1 of 23 (4%) were in the targeted cohort, and 61 of 106 (57%) were in the opportunistic cohort. Ninety percent of the lesions were confirmed to be malignant or potentially malignant. CONCLUSIONS: The mobile health-based approach adopted in this study aided remote early detection of oral cancer by primary care dental practitioners in a resource-constrained setting. Further optimization of this program is required to adopt the system for FHW. Evaluation of its efficacy in a larger population is also warranted. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The increased efficiency of early detection by dentists, when assisted by a remote mobile health-based approach, is a step toward a more effective oral cancer screening program.

Antidepressant-induced Burning Mouth Syndrome: A Unique Case.

Burning Mouth Syndrome (BMS) is defined as a chronic orofacial pain syndrome, without evidence of mucosal lesions and other clinical signs of disease or laboratory abnormalities. Patients with BMS complain of burning pain in the mouth, xerostomia and taste disturbances. It is more common among women and the median age of occurrence is about 60 years. BMS may be primary or secondary to other diseases. The mainstay in the treatment of BMS includes antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and anticonvulsants. A few cases of BMS caused due to medication have been reported. The causative drugs include angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, anticoagulants, antipsychotics, antiretrovirals, and benzodiazepines. This is a case report of a patient on antidepressants who developed symptoms of BMS thereby causing a dilemma in management.