Abstract
We started oral cancer screening in cooperation with a local dental association in 1990, and thus 25 years passed in 2016. Departments of oral surgery in the three hospitals attached to our university cooperated and performed oral cancer screening in their respective regional areas. An oral cancer screening trial was started in Chiba city and spread to 14 cities in Chiba Prefecture in 2015, and group medical examinations were performed one to three times a year in each region. We checked 7,030 in group medical examinations from 1992 through 2008 in the whole of Chiba prefecture. Oral mucosa diseases were detected in 707 cases, including 8 cases of oral cancer and 60 cases of precancerous lesion. The overall discovery rate of oral cancer was 0.11%, which was similar to the rate for each year. In addition, we worked on the following to spread oral cancer screening: a) Distributing information and raising awareness of oral cancer among citizens, b) providing lifetime education about diagnosis of oral cancer to general dentists, c) explaining to administrative organizations about the importance of oral cancer prevention and early detection, and d) developing inspection equipment and laboratory procedures for early detection of oral cancer. As a result of these activities, we started to carry out individual examinations for oral mucosa disease in the dental clinic with the assistance of government budget in four cities.
