Conhecimento e atitudes entre pacientes com carcinoma espinocelular oral: estudo qualitativo

Abstract

Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) is a malignant neoplasm and accounts for approximately 94% of diagnoses of oral malignancies, therefore being the most frequent tumor in the oral cavity. It mainly affects men over 40 years of age and represents the eighth most frequent tumor in males and the fifteenth in females. The etiology of oral squamous cell carcinoma is multifactorial and its main risk factors are smoking with or without regular consumption of alcoholic beverages, exposure to sunlight, malnutrition and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The main signs include the presence of lesions in the oral cavity or lip, which persist for more than 15 days and which present growth, red or whitish plaques, mainly in the regions of the tongue, gums, palate or buccal mucosa. The high incidence and mortality of patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma highlights the relevance of studies that seek to analyze factors related to late diagnosis, since most cases of the disease are detected in an advanced stage. This study aimed to analyze the knowledge associated with the diagnosis of oral squamous cell carcinoma and the patient's coping strategies in the municipality of Governador Valadares. Data were collected through a semi-structured interview, applied to participants diagnosed with oral squamous cell carcinoma, who were treated at the stomatology clinic of the UFJF Campus Governador Valadares, during the years 2020 and 2022. The sample size was based on the point of saturation. The study variables included sociodemographic aspects, namely: gender, age, education, marital status, profession/occupation, place of residence and time since diagnosis of the disease, in addition to smoking and drinking habits. For the study, an adapted semi-structured interview guide, called the Self-Regulatory Model (SRM), was used to analyze how the symptoms and emotions experienced during a threat to health influence the perception of illness by individuals. The data obtained were analyzed, firstly, through their transcription and reading. Subsequently, aspects of the data were described, based on the use of the SRM. The sample consisted of 9 patients, 8 male and 1 female, with a sample age between 52 and 78 years. The perception of the disease was due to the presence of symptoms in seven participants. It was observed that the interviewed patients identified the symptoms and even when they presented emotional changes, there was no effective action in coping with oral cancer. Therefore, it was noticed the lack of knowledge about oral squamous cell carcinoma and the need for public campaigns and actions by health units on the subject.