{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T18:02:00Z","timestamp":1784916120891,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":45,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784851200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS One"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Early detection is a key determinant of prognosis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC); however, delayed diagnosis remains common. Insufficient public awareness and knowledge of OSCC have been identified as important barriers to timely diagnosis. Therefore, the aim of this observational study is to assess knowledge of OSCC and its risk factors, and to identify possible differences in awareness and information sources according to demographic and subject-related factors. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between July 2023 and June 2024 in community pharmacies in North-Western Italy. Adult customers completed a structured questionnaire administered by trained interviewers. Associations were evaluated using chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression analyses. A total of 914 participants were consecutively included (mean age 54.1\u2009\u00b1\u200917.0 years). Overall, 70.4% were aware of OSCC, mostly from family\/friends (51.8%) and media (43.2%). Smoking was widely recognized as a risk factor (97.9%), while alcohol consumption and sunlight exposure were less known (63.9% and 18.6%, respectively). Awareness was significantly influenced by gender, higher educational level, age and smoking status. Most respondents (92.2%) expressed a need for further information, with community pharmacies identified as the preferred source (67.3%). The present findings highlight the need for OSCC awareness campaigns in North-Western Italy and suggest that community pharmacies may represent a valuable setting for delivering such interventions.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0354509","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]],"date-time":"2026-07-24T17:29:06Z","timestamp":1784914146000},"page":"e0354509","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1371\/journal.pone.corrections_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Knowledge and awareness of oral cancer among adults in North-Western Italy: A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey in community pharmacies"],"prefix":"10.1371","volume":"21","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5483-8501","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Francesca","family":"Baratta","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5172-299X","authenticated-orcid":true,"given":"Federica","family":"Romano","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paola","family":"Brusa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Paolo Giacomo","family":"Arduino","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"340","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,24]]},"reference":[{"issue":"6","key":"pone.0354509.ref001","first-page":"394","article-title":"Global cancer statistics 2018: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries","volume":"68","author":"F Bray","year":"2018","journal-title":"CA Cancer J Clin"},{"key":"pone.0354509.ref002","unstructured":"Associazione Italiana di Oncologia Medica. 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