Early diagnosis in oral cancer may have a major 
role in improving survival rates, allowing patients to take 
advantage of less aggressive treatments, mitigating the 
morbidity of the process. Definitive diagnosis of oral 
cancer is the result of a complex chain of related events. In 
an attempt to shorten this time period, many authors have 
developed different theoretical models for explaining the 
diagnostic process. The absence of a widely accepted 
framework and the heterogeneous approaches to this issue 
hamper research on this topic. 
Public awareness about oral cancer is low, and 
patients frequently delay consultation with a healthcare 
professional despite having experienced some kind of 
symptoms for months. The design of the healthcare 
system has also a part in this play, as there are evidences 
supporting the idea that health policies modulate not only 
the diagnostic or treatment intervals, but also the patient's 
help-seeking period. 
General medical and dental practitioners are in an 
excellent position for early diagnosis and prevention of 
oral cancer. Continuing education programmes have 
proved useful in increasing knowledge and favouring 
positive attitudes towards oral cancer amongst healthcare providers. When asked about the main barriers for a 
correct diagnosis of oral cancer, clinicians usually demand 
further education, a better access to diagnostic resources, 
and complaint about tight working schedules. Thus, the 
aims of this narrative review have been to depict the 
components of the oral cancer diagnostic process, to 
describe the main agents involved, and also to identify 
feasible interventions with a potential to diminish these 
time intervals. 
Keywords: Oral Cancer; Diagnostic Interval; Diagnostic 
Delay; Health Policies; Survival