title: Initial outcomes of an integrated outpatient-based screening program for oral cancers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of an integrated outpatient-based screening program for oral cancer.
  
  
  METHODS
  An automated system was used to refer high-risk patients presenting to the outpatient clinic for oral cavity examination. The outcomes between the screened and concurrently symptomatic cohorts were compared to assess the program's effectiveness at identifying oral cancers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 38,693 candidates flagged as high-risk patients by our automated referral system, a total of 8037 participants were recruited to our screened cohort; 1664 patients were identified with positive lesions, and 302 patients underwent a biopsy. Five patients were diagnosed with oral cancer and 121 with dysplastic precancers. The symptomatic cohort comprised 157 patients with oral cancers and 61 with precancers. The screening program identified earlier stages of oral cancers than in the symptomatic cohort.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Automated outpatient-based oral cancer screening programs may be a practicable strategy to identify precancerous lesions or early-stage cancers in high-risk adults.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Oriental Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Li-Jen
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Oriental Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsiu-Ling
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Wu-Chia
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Oriental Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chi-Te
authors.initials: CT
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Graduate Institute of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, College of Public Health, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Hsu-Wen
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Chou
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chih-Dao
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chen-Hsi
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology & Oncology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Yu-Chin
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Far Eastern Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan; Oriental Institute of Technology, Taipei, Taiwan. Electronic address: Powenjapan@yahoo.com.tw.
authors.forename: Po-Wen
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Cheng
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D001706:Biopsy; D055088:Early Detection of Cancer; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011230:Precancerous Conditions / Q000175:diagnosis; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012189:Retrospective Studies