Oral Cancer Screening in the UAE: Why Every Shisha User Needs an Annual Check

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is the sixth most common cancer worldwide. In the UAE it is disproportionately common in men over 45 who use shisha, and in South Asian communities who chew paan/gutka. ### The 5-minute screening Any DHA/DOH-licensed dentist should perform this at every hygiene visit: 1. Visual inspection of lips, tongue (dorsum, ventral, lateral), floor of mouth, buccal mucosa, soft palate, tonsillar pillars 2. Bimanual palpation of floor of mouth and submental/submandibular lymph nodes 3. Documentation of any lesion > 2 weeks old, colour change (red or white patches), or non-healing ulcer A VELscope or similar autofluorescence device is an adjunct — not a replacement — for visual/tactile examination. AED 100–250 add-on where offered. ### The three warning lesions - **Leukoplakia** (white patch that won't rub off) - **Erythroplakia** (red patch — higher malignant potential than white) - **Non-healing ulcer** > 21 days Any of these warrants incisional biopsy at an OMFS or ENT clinic. In Dubai, DHCC-based clinics turn biopsies around in 5–7 working days for ~AED 800–1,500. ### Risk factors specific to the UAE - Shisha (higher tar than cigarettes; a one-hour session ≈ 100 cigarettes on some measures) - Betel/areca chewing (largely South Asian sub-population) - HPV-16 (oropharyngeal cancers, rising in younger non-smokers) - Alcohol × tobacco (multiplicative, not additive, risk) ### What screening costs and doesn't Standard visual/tactile screening is included in a routine hygiene visit (AED 300–650). VELscope adjunct: AED 100–250. Biopsy: AED 800–1,500. ### Advocacy note Ask your dentist to perform and document oral cancer screening in your record every year. If they don't, request it — it takes five minutes and can be lifesaving.