title: An academic dental center grapples with oral cancer disparities: current collaboration and future opportunities.
abstract: This article reviews the epidemiology of oral cancer in the United States, explores the complex reasons for its disproportionate burden in minority groups, and describes the efforts of New York University's College of Dentistry to address these oral cancer disparities. These efforts include the development of state and regional consortia and networks, public education and community screening efforts, undergraduate dental curriculum development, professional education, intensive research efforts, and significant dental-medical collaborations. Future directions include the need to develop and assess oral cancer education/awareness programs, specifically customized to the various dental-medical professionals/trainees and to populations at risk. Improving the quality of life of patients during and following treatment for oral cancer is another important area that has great opportunity for dental-medical collaboration.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Medicine, New York University College of Dentistry, New York, NY 10010, USA. ark3@nyu.edu
authors.forename: A Ross
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kerr
authors.forename: Jyotsna G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Changrani
authors.forename: Francesca M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gany
authors.forename: Gustavo D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Cruz
mesh_terms: D004497:Education, Dental; D005260:Female; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000193:education*; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009518:New York; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012575:Schools, Dental; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology