title: Outcomes of invitational and opportunistic oral cancer screening initiatives in Oporto, Portugal.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the utility of oral cancer screening for the early detection of oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs) and oral cancer (OC) in a population of Oporto city.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an OC screening program in the city of Oporto between 2010 and 2011 using two methodologies of population recruitment: Volunteers attending an OC screening day recruited via a mass media campaign; and OC screening during dental visits to a public hospital in the Oporto City. Participants' socio-demographic information and life-style habits were ascertained by interviewers, and an oral mucosal examination (screen) was conducted by previously trained and calibrated group of 20 screeners.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 727 individuals (277 males and 450 females) with a mean age of 54 years (range 18-94) were screened. During screening, we detected 22 OPMDs: 13 (59.1%) oral leukoplakias and 9 (40.9%) cases with oral lichen planus. No erythroplakias were detected. In addition, two oral carcinomas were detected, both in the T1 stages of the disease. All screen positives attended a specialist clinic following referral to confirm their diagnoses. A randomly selected sample among negative screens was also examined to assess any false negatives. The sensitivity was 96% and specificity was 98%. Significantly more positive cases were found among older individuals (≥54 years) (P = 0.045).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Screening data suggest that new cancers and OPMDs can be detected by invitational and opportunistic screening and offer a platform to raise the awareness and knowledge on this cancer in the Portuguese population.
authors.affiliation: Medicine and Oral Surgery Department, Molecular Oncology Group, Institute of Research and Advanced Training in Health Sciences and Technologies (IINFACTS), Higher Institute of Health Sciences (ISCSN), CESPU, Paredes, Portugal; Stomatology Department, Centro Hospitalar de São João, Polo de Valongo - CESPU, Valongo, Portugal.
authors.forename: Luís Silva
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Monteiro
authors.forename: Filomena
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Salazar
authors.forename: Jose Júlio
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Pacheco
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.forename: Saman
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Warnakulasuriya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000175:diagnosis; D003796:Dental Service, Hospital; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D007972:Leukoplakia, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis; D017676:Lichen Planus, Oral / Q000175:diagnosis; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009059:Mouth Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011174:Portugal; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012907:Smoking; D012923:Social Class; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Portugal; oral cancer; oral potential malignant disorders; screening