Head and neck cancer awareness exploratory survey in undergraduate students

Head and neck cancer (HNC) was among the seven cancers which contributed to half of the global burden on mortality and incidence according to GLOBOCAN 2018. Tobacco, consumption of alcohol, and HPV infection are among the risk factors related to HNC. This study aimed to explore the knowledge of HNC among university students in Universitas Indonesia. Online questionnaire adapted and translated into Indonesian language was delivered to undergraduate students aged 18-24 years old in Universitas Indonesia. Students from Health Sciences Cluster, Science and Technology Cluster, and Social Sciences and Humanities Cluster were invited to participate in the study. There were 1090 respondents included in the study. Respondents were largely female (n = 807, 74%), nonsmoking (n=1075, 91.8%), and more than half were enrolled as students in the faculties of non-Health Sciences Cluster (n = 567, 52%). Two-thirds of respondents had heard about HNC and internet was mentioned as the main source of HNC information. Alcohol and tobacco smoking were recognized as risk factors of HNC while neck tumor was thought as the early symptoms of HNC by most respondents. This study found that although most respondents already knew about HNC and recognized smoking as a risk factor, there was a lack of knowledge regarding the early symptoms of HNC.