West Bank study reveals gaps in oral cancer screening

Dental Tribune International

Thu. 20. August 2026

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HEBRON, Palestine: Medical practitioners can play an important role in the early recognition of oral cancer. Their knowledge of the disease and how they apply this in practice is therefore relevant to timely detection and referral. A new cross-sectional study has examined whether oral cancer knowledge among medical trainees is reflected in their reported clinical practice.

The researchers surveyed 488 medical students and interns from five universities in the West Bank with regard to their oral cancer knowledge and clinical practices. They found moderate overall knowledge of oral cavity cancer, but important gaps emerged in both risk factor recognition and clinical examination.

Awareness was strongest for established behavioural risk factors. However, fewer than half of the participants recognised the tongue and floor of the mouth as high-risk anatomical sites. Recognition of other potential risk factors was also limited: just over one-third identified low fruit and vegetable intake and fewer than one-third identified poorly fitting dentures as possible factors.

The clearest discrepancy was between history taking and physical examination. Although about four-fifths of the participants said they routinely asked about tobacco use and nearly three-quarters advised patients to stop smoking, fewer than half reported routinely examining the oral mucosa and just two-fifths said they examined suspicious lesions when they encountered them.

The study found only a weak correlation between knowledge and clinical practice scores, suggesting that theoretical understanding does not necessarily translate into confident examination behaviour. Clinical practice scores were significantly higher from the fourth year of medical training, coinciding with the start of clinical rotations.

The authors therefore advocated for earlier structured training, greater hands-on exposure and stronger collaboration between medical and dental education. This recommendation is consistent with other research showing the value of structured educational interventions in strengthening oral cancer knowledge and clinical practice among dental professionals and students.

The findings add to wider concerns about the translation of oral cancer knowledge into clinical practice. Previous research reported by Dental Tribune International found gaps in both theoretical and clinical knowledge on oral cancer among practising dentists in Turkey—also pointing to the need for education.

The article, titled “Oral cavity cancer knowledge and clinical practices among medical students and interns in the West Bank: A cross-sectional study”, was published online on 31 July 2026 in BMC Oral Health, ahead of final publication.