Participation of Canadian Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons in Oral, Lip, and Oropharyngeal Cancer Care.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the participation of Canadian oral and maxillofacial surgeons (OMSs) in the various phases of oral, lip, and oropharyngeal cancer care.


METHODS
A survey was conducted to quantify participation in oral, lip, and oropharyngeal cancer care and assess participation ranging from screening for malignancy to active treatment and rehabilitation of those with late-stage disease.


RESULTS
Three hundred ninety-one surgeons were contacted and 206 (52.7%) responded to the online survey. The survey showed 98.1% of respondents were involved with cancer screening and 97.1% were involved in prevention and early intervention (monitoring and treatment) of premalignant lesions. In addition, 95.1% of respondents participated in diagnosis and staging of tumors. Early-stage cancer was managed surgically by 49.5% of respondents, whereas 11.2% of respondents managed late-stage disease. Management of oral rehabilitation was performed by 79.0% of respondents.


CONCLUSIONS
OMSs are an integral part of all phases of oral and oropharyngeal cancer care, including primary surgical oncology, in Canada. Although OMSs in Canada participate widely in integral prevention and survivor rehabilitation programs, few members participate in late-stage disease management and regional multidisciplinary care teams.
Resident in Training, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry, Western University, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada.
Karl K
KK
Cuddy
Resident in Training, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, McGill University, Montreal General Hospital, Montreal, QC, Canada.
Wendall
W
Mascarenhas
Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeon/Head and Neck Surgeon, Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, Alberta Health Services, Calgary Zone; Assistant Professor, University of Calgary, South Calgary Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Calgary, AB, Canada. Electronic address: grahamcobb@gmail.com.
Graham
G
Cobb
D002170:Canada; D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes; D006801:Humans; D008048:Lip Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D000066794:Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery* / Q000628:therapy; D010819:Physician's Role; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes; C011597:amineptin