1. Oral complications at 6 months after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.
- Author
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Lalla RV, Treister N, Sollecito T, Schmidt B, Patton LL, Mohammadi K, Hodges JS, and Brennan MT
- Subjects
- Aged, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Mouth physiopathology, Mouth radiation effects, Oral Hygiene, Pain etiology, Prospective Studies, Quality of Life, Time Factors, Carcinoma, Squamous Cell radiotherapy, Head and Neck Neoplasms radiotherapy, Radiation Injuries etiology, Radiotherapy, Intensity-Modulated adverse effects, Saliva radiation effects, Stomatitis etiology
- Abstract
Objective: To examine oral complications 6 months after modern radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC)., Methods: Prospective multicenter cohort study of patients with HNC receiving intensity-modulated radiation therapy or more advanced RT. Stimulated whole salivary flow, maximal mouth opening, oral mucositis, oral pain, oral health-related quality of life (OH-QOL), and oral hygiene practices were measured in 372 subjects pre-RT and 216 subjects at 6 months from the start of RT., Results: Mean stimulated whole salivary flow declined from 1.09 to 0.47 ml/min at 6 months (p < .0001). Mean maximal mouth opening reduced from 45.58 to 42.53 mm at 6 months (p < .0001). 8.1% of subjects had some oral mucositis at 6 months, including 3.8% with oral ulceration. Mean overall pain score was unchanged. OH-QOL was reduced at 6 months, with changes related to dry mouth, sticky saliva, swallowing solid foods, and sense of taste (p ≤ .0001). At 6 months, there was greater frequency of using dental floss and greater proportion using supplemental fluoride (p < .0001)., Conclusions: Despite advances in RT techniques, patients with HNC experience oral complications 6 months after RT, with resulting negative impacts on oral function and quality of life., (© 2017 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2017
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