(0200) A Community Health Initiative: Results of Head and Neck Cancer Screening at a State Fair

Introduction: Head and neck cancer (HNCA) screening at large public events can have a vital role in early detection, increased awareness, and education of HNCA. We seek to understand best practices for screening programs and determine key risk factors for positive screening results in a pilot screening at a state fair.

Methods: We conducted open head and neck cancer screenings at a state fair in August 2023. Medical students, physicians, and other health professionals provided attendees with educational materials and surveyed risk factors before performing a head and neck physical exam. Demographic information, risk factors, and positive findings were recorded on screening forms and transferred to a database. This database was analyzed with SPSS. A positive screening was determined to be any person recommended for follow-up.

Results: Out of the 110 individuals, 19 had a positive screening (17.3%). The average age was 53.36 (sd = 17) and 46 of those screened were male (41.8%). Of the total, 42 individuals had public health insurance (50.6%). After controlling for age, rural vs urban zip code, insurance, alcohol use, and tobacco use, multivariable binomial logistic regression identified four significant risk factors for a positive screening: male gender, non-white race, previous incidence of HNCA, and prior history of radiation exposure with odds ratios of 85.53 (p = 0.008), 46.97 (p = 0.026), 41.37 (p = 0.014), and 14.63 (p = 0.047) respectively. Tobacco and alcohol use did not have a significant effect on the likelihood of a positive screening with p-values of 0.363 and 0.208 respectively.

Conclusions: Large-scale HNCA screenings at public events are accessible and effective at identifying high-risk individuals for HNCA and can be especially effective at reaching those with publicly funded health insurance. Male, non-white individuals with previous HNCA and a history of radiation exposure are at increased risk of developing HNCA. Future screening events should aim to target this demographic. Tobacco and alcohol use were not significant risk factors in this population as shown in previous literature, possibly due to our sample size.