Oropharyngeal Cancer Symptoms and Risk Factors Awareness and Effectiveness of Educational Intervention for Underserved Populations

Introduction: Oropharyngeal cancer (OPC) risk factors and symptoms are not commonly known by the general population, and access to information regarding risk factors and symptoms is limited among underserved populations. We set out to assess the knowledge of symptoms and risk factors among underserved populations. We wanted to see the effectiveness of an educational intervention using publicly accessible infographics on these symptoms and risk factors.

Methods: We created a survey assessing the knowledge of OPC symptoms and risk factors. We gave this survey to patients visiting a free primary healthcare clinic serving underserved populations. Utilizing infographics that are provided by the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance, students presented participants with two infographics about OPC risk factors and symptoms following this initial survey. Another survey was administered to assess short-term retention and perceived understanding of OPC risk factors and symptoms.

Results: Compared to other risk factors gathered by the survey, one distinctive pattern was that although most (~85%) patients stated that they were likely to go to the doctor for potential OPC symptoms, just roughly 10% of patients were vaccinated for human papillomavirus (HPV). After the education portion, more patients were able to recognize HPV as a risk factor, be more confident in noticing warning signs and other risk factors, and be aware of assistance programs for OPC treatment (p < 0.0001 for all categories) Also, the objective assessment of patients’ understanding of symptoms and risk factors showed that there was a significant increase in patients’ ability to identify them (p < 0.0001 for all categories).

Conclusions: The present study was effective in identifying the significant knowledge deficit concerning the symptoms and risk factors associated with OPC within the underserved community. By reducing this informational gap, our intervention underscores the importance of targeted education in underserved communities to enhance their ability to recognize, prevent, and seek timely care for OPC.