Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Clinical
  • Published:

Recognising oral cancer: The role of medical professionals

BDJ Student (2025)Cite this article

Access through your institution
Buy or subscribe

Oral cancer is a serious and often overlooked disease that carries significant morbidity and mortality. Globally, over 377 000 new cases of lip and oral cavity cancers were diagnosed in 2020 alone, with almost 178 000 deaths in the same year.1 The prognosis of oral cancer is heavily dependent on the stage at diagnosis, early-stage detection boasts a five-year survival rate of up to 90%, whereas late-stage disease reduces this to less than 50%.2

Dentists are at the forefront of detecting oral malignancies, but they are not the only healthcare professionals who encounter patients with potential symptoms. General practitioners, emergency physicians, ENT specialists and even junior doctors frequently assess patients who present with head-and-neck complaints. As such, medical professionals also have an important role to play in early recognition and referral. This article explores how medics can contribute to timely diagnosis and better outcomes through increased awareness and routine screening.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Access through your institution

References

  1. Sung H, Ferlay J, Siegel R L, et al. Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA Cancer J Clin 2021; 71: 209-249.

  2. Omar E. Current concepts and future of non-invasive procedures for diagnosing oral squamous cell carcinoma - a systematic review. Head Face Med 2015; 11: 6.

  3. Nguyen T T H, Sodnom-Ish B, Choi S W, et al. Salivary biomarkers in oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Korean Assoc Oral Maxillofac Surg 2020; 46: 301-312.

  4. Barsouk A, Aluru JS, Rawla P, et al. Epidemiology, risk factors and prevention of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. Med Sci 2023; 11: 42.

  5. Daniel M, Rogers S N. Professional delays in referral of patients with mouth cancer: six case histories. Br Dent J 2022; 233: 1003-1008.

  6. Carter L M, Ogden G R. Oral cancer awareness of undergraduate medical and dental students. BMC Med Educ 2007; 7: 44.

  7. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Suspected cancer: recognition and referral (NICE Guideline NG12). London: NICE; 2021.

  8. Cancer Research UK. Oral Cancer Toolkit. 2016. Available at: https://www.cancerresearchuk.org (accessed May 2025).

  9. Tabrizi M, Lee W C. A pilot interprofessional programme involving dental, medical, nursing and pharmacy students. Front Public Health 2020; 8: 602957.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Plymouth Peninsula Medical School, Plymouth, United Kingdom

    Arham Muhammad

Authors
  1. Arham Muhammad
    View author publications

    Search author on:PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Arham Muhammad.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Muhammad, A. Recognising oral cancer: The role of medical professionals. BDJ Student (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-025-1521-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41406-025-1521-0

Search

Advanced search

Quick links