A comprehensive and multidisciplinary program of education in oral cancer aimed at improving the early diagnosis, treatment and overall care of the patient with oral cancer, as well as the oral care of all cancer patients, particularly those under active therapy. The program will involve undergraduate dental students; graduate dental students; dentists, physicians, dental hygienists, dental assistants, visiting nurses, public health nurses and other health personnel in the community; medical students, interns and residents in the various affiliated hospitals. Subject matter will deal with all phases of the oral cancer problem ranging from prevention through screening, diagnosis, therapy and rehabilitation. The teaching of oral and dental care for all cancer patients will be developed and presented to undergraduate and graduate dental students, residents and auxiliary dental personnel as well as to dentists and physicians and other health professionals in the community with clinical experience in the setting of a Comprehensive Cancer Center as well as in other appropriate facilities. A major part of the program will be one month externships in oncology as part of the dental curriculum and student research assistantships. During the one-month full-time exposure to different aspects of cancer management, the student will attend hospital rounds, tumor boards, observe surgical therapy, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, management of patients with postradiation and chemotherapy problems, maxillofacial prosthetics for oral and facial defects, and discussions of speech therapy, psychological management of cancer patients. Student assistantships will be offered in oral cancer research with emphasis in oral carcinogenesis, chemotherapy, tumor immunology, radiation biology and epidemiology.
