A 55-year-old male bidi smoker with regular alcohol use attends a Health and Wellness Centre. He asks whether any screening test can detect mouth cancer early enough to save lives. Based on the best available evidence from a large randomised trial in Kerala, which approach reduced oral cancer mortality in high-risk individuals?
- A Visual inspection of the oral cavity by a trained health worker ✓
- B Annual panoramic dental radiograph
- C Toluidine blue staining of the oral mucosa
- D Serum p53 antibody estimation
Correct answer: A. Visual inspection of the oral cavity by a trained health worker
Explanation
The Trivandrum oral cancer screening cluster randomised trial showed that four rounds of visual oral examination by trained health workers significantly reduced oral cancer mortality among users of tobacco or alcohol, while showing no benefit in low-risk individuals. Toluidine blue is an adjunct for lesion characterisation, radiographs do not detect mucosal premalignancy reliably, and serum p53 antibodies are not an accepted screening test.
Reference: Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social Medicine, 27th ed.
High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP
Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.