"Deal with chemo, deal with sores": oral health care protocol acceptability and perception of quality of life in patients receiving chemotherapy in Malaysia.

Background: Oral mucositis is a common side effect of chemotherapy that can be painftd, distressing and very often compromising the overall quality of life. Information regarding oral care before, during and after chemotherapy is available yet not emphasized upon enough. "Deal with Chemo, Deal with Sores" is an easy to follow, evidence based oral care guideline that was developed specifically for such patient to make information accessible and help in improving the oral health related quality of life. This study was carried out to obtain baseline data of oral health related quality of life (QoL) among patients undergoing chemotherapy and evaluate the acceptability of oral health care protocol "Deal with Chemo, Deal with Sores". Methodology: The impact of chemotherapy on patients' oral health related quality of life (QoL) was obtained using S-OHIP(M) (n=49). This was followed by structured telephonic interview to assess the acceptability of the oral care protocol after two months; the results of which were analyzed qualitatively. Results: The most prevalently affected S-OHIP(M) domains were "physical pain" with mean score of 1.80, "psychological discomfort" 1.73 and "physical disability" 1.45. The highest additive score is 30 with mean of 11.45. Participants reported overall good acceptability of oral health care protocol as it provided "sufficient information", was "trustworthy" and "helped in decision making". Conclusion: It was found that chemotherapy patients experienced physical pain, psychological discomfort and physical disability. "Deal with Chemo, Deal with Sores" was very well accepted by patients, which highlights the importance of oral care in cancer hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]