Community dentistry: oral cancer screening: practice question

A Dentistry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Dentistry · Community dentistry: oral cancer screening

Sample item

A large trial in Kerala evaluated screening for oral cancer among tobacco and alcohol users. Which screening method reduced mortality in this high-risk group?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

B. Visual oral inspection by trained health workers

In the Kerala cluster randomised trial, visual screening of the mouth by trained health workers led to a reduction in oral cancer mortality in tobacco and alcohol users. Visual inspection is cheap and feasible at scale, whereas adjunctive stains and cytology have not shown the same population benefit.

Option by option

  • A. Toluidine blue staining by general practitioners

    Toluidine blue is an adjunct without proven mortality benefit.

  • B. Visual oral inspection by trained health workers (correct)

    Correct. Visual examination was shown to cut deaths in high-risk users.

  • C. Exfoliative cytology offered to all adults in the area

    Cytology of all adults was not the method evaluated in this trial.

  • D. Brush biopsy for every visible mucosal patch

    Brush biopsy is an adjunct for individual lesions, not population screening.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Dentistry question

What is the answer to this Dentistry question?

The best answer is B, Visual oral inspection by trained health workers. In the Kerala cluster randomised trial, visual screening of the mouth by trained health workers led to a reduction in oral cancer mortality in tobacco and alcohol users.

Why is "Toluidine blue staining by general practitioners" not the answer?

Toluidine blue is an adjunct without proven mortality benefit.

Why is "Exfoliative cytology offered to all adults in the area" not the answer?

Cytology of all adults was not the method evaluated in this trial.

Why is "Brush biopsy for every visible mucosal patch" not the answer?

Brush biopsy is an adjunct for individual lesions, not population screening.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Community dentistry: oral cancer screening in Dentistry. Visual inspection is cheap and feasible at scale, whereas adjunctive stains and cytology have not shown the same population benefit.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Community dentistry: oral cancer screening?

Learn the dental formula, eruption ages and tooth structure once, as tables. Then use the flashcards and the other Dentistry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.