Personalizing dental screening and prevention protocols in dentulous patients with oropharyngeal cancer undergoing radiotherapy: A retrospective cohort study.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Patients with head and neck cancer are routinely screened for dental foci prior to radiotherapy (RT) to prevent post- RT tooth extractions associated with an increased risk of osteoradionecrosis. We evaluated the risk factors for post-RT tooth extraction to personalise dental screening and prevention protocols prior to RT.

Materials and methods

This retrospective cohort study included dentulous patients diagnosed with oropharyngeal cancer who had undergone radiation therapy at doses 60-70 Gy and achieved a disease-free survival of ≥ 1 year (N = 174). Risk factors were assessed using Cox regression models.

Results

The cumulative incidence of post-RT tooth extraction was 30.7 % at 5 years. Main indications for extraction (n = 62) were radiation caries (n = 20

SUBMITTER: Chin D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10940125 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature