Time required for prophylactic oral care in head and neck cancer patients scheduled for radiotherapy: A single center, prospective cohort study.

Abstract

Prophylactic oral care (POC) before radiotherapy (RT) is an adjunct but an integral process toward preparing patients for RT, however, time to be invested in POC remains unexplored. Prospective treatment records were maintained in head and neck cancer patients, who received POC following a standardized protocol with definite timelines. Data collected for oral treatment time (OTT), interruption in RT due to oro-dental issues, future extraction(s), and incidence of osteoradionecrosis (ORN) up to 18 months after treatment were analyzed. Three hundred thirty-three patients, 275 males and 58 females, mean age 52.45 ± 11.2 years were included. Mean OTT was 21.0 ± 6.2 days and was influenced significantly with the number of extractions (p < 0.00). There was no interruption in RT schedule due to oro-dental issues. Five patients were diagnosed with ORN. Performing POC as demonstrated aid in timely removal of nidus of infection(s), perform RT as scheduled, and maintain satisfactory oral health through the survivorship of patients.