Garoma,Gelana(Ass.Prof. ,OMFS)Dejene,Demerew (Ass.Prof. ,OMFS)Abera,Feven2025-08-132025-08-132023-07https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/6665Background: Oral cancer is a malignant tumor that develops in a part of the mouth. It may be on the surface of the tongue, the inside of the cheeks, the roof of the mouth (palate), floor of mouth, the lips or gums. It is a preventable disease. Its occurrence is mostly due to lifestyle. Knowledge of the signs and symptoms of oral cancer may well aid in early diagnosis and treatment. This is bound to increase in survival rate. Objectives: To assess the awareness of Oral cancer among patients that visited department of Dentistry and maxillofacial surgery at Tikur Anbesa Specialized Hospital, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Methods: A hospital based cross-sectional study; interviewer-administered questionnaire was conducted amongst 221 adult patients attending the Tikur Anbesa Hospital during June, 2023. A 29-item questioner which has 3 sections: demographics, knowledge of risk factors and knowledge of sign & symptoms of oral cancer were used during data collection. Time frame: The study was conducted from June 1 up to June 30, 2023 Result: A total of 221 patients visited the department during the study period. The female to male ratio was 1.51:1 & the mean age of patients was 37.09 years with standard deviation ±13.77. Majority of the participants (86.4%, N=191) were urban & 57.9% (N=128) of the participants were employed. About 52.0% (N=115) of the participants had a basic education or have accomplished primary & secondary level of school. The majority of the participants 65.2% (N=144) didn‟t have any habit of substance use & 75.1% (N=166) of the participants did not hear of oral cancer prior to this research. A total of 45.2% (N=100) of the participants demonstrated good knowledge of signs & symptoms of oral cancer whereas a total of 44.3% (N=98) of the participants demonstrated good knowledge of risk factors of oral cancer. Conclusion: This research demonstrated a lack of public awareness & knowledge about oral cancer. Different measures should be taken to improve public awareness of oral cancer. Dentists and health workers should do more in educating the public.en-USOral cancerRisk factorsSigns and symptomsKnowledgeThesis