Diagnostic Delay in Oral Cancer: An Overview of Different Perspectives on a Public Health Problem

Early diagnosis in oral cancer may have a major role in improving survival rates, allowing patients to take advantage of less aggressive treatments, mitigating the morbidity of the process. Definitive diagnosis of oral cancer is the result of a complex chain of related events. In an attempt to shorten this time period, many authors have developed different theoretical models for explaining the diagnostic process. The absence of a widely accepted framework and the heterogeneous approaches to this issue hamper research on this topic. Public awareness about oral cancer is low, and patients frequently delay consultation with a healthcare professional despite having experienced some kind of symptoms for months. The design of the healthcare system has also a part in this play, as there are evidences supporting the idea that health policies modulate not only the diagnostic or treatment intervals, but also the patient's help-seeking period. General medical and dental practitioners are in an excellent position for early diagnosis and prevention of oral cancer. Continuing education programmes have proved useful in increasing knowledge and favouring positive attitudes towards oral cancer amongst healthcare