Oral Cancer Screening: Development of research partnership and feasibility study

An epidemiological transition is gathering momentum with deaths shifting from infectious diseases to non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally after cardiovascular disease. The prevalence of NCDs, and the resulting number of related deaths, are expected to increase in the future, particularly in India, due to population growth and ageing, in conjunction with economic transition and resulting changes in behavioural, occupational and environmental risk factors.

To achieve the Sustainable Development goal of reducing pre mature mortality due to NCD and also the National health policy 2017 which aims to reduce incidence of chronic diseases , India has started the national screening programme of common NCDs including oral, cervical and breast cancer.

The aim of this project is to develop a novel screening strategy whereby the Community Health workers will be trained to screen for oral cancers in a community based setup thereby improving primary care delivery as well.

Study design: Feasibility Study

Study period: 6 Months

Study population: A total of 3000 participants will be examined in Gautam Budh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, India. The participants will be selected conveniently.

Ethical clearance has been obtained from Institutional Ethics Committee at the National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (Indian Council of Medical Research).