Head and neck cancer recognition and medical information gathering methods

Abstract

Introduction: To enable head and neck cancer to be detected and treated early to improve treatment outcomes, it needs to be more widely and accurately recognized by the general public.
Methods: As a project to raise recognition of head and neck cancer by the Public Relations Committee of the Japan Society for Head and Neck Cancer, a questionnaire survey was administered to 1,574 members of the general public at an event held on Conquer Head and Neck Cancer Day.
Results: Recognition of head and neck cancer was 45.6％, higher among the elderly and not different by gender. Pharyngeal and laryngeal cancers were recognized as head and neck cancers by about 80％, while tongue and thyroid cancers were recognized by about 30％. The most common means of gathering medical information were from their family doctor （74.3％）, the internet （42.9％）, and friends who are medical professionals （35.4％）, followed by TV, newspapers, SNS, and friends who are not medical professionals. There were no differences in collection methods by age or gender.
Discussion: To increase the degree of recognition of head and neck cancer, it is important to raise recognition among physicians in other departments and medical professionals and to disseminate information via the internet.