* Dr . Yatish Bansal ** Dr . Anu Girdhar *** Dr . Vikram Pal Aggarwal **** Dr . Anmol Mathur ***** Dr . Gaurav kansal
The Journal
Oral health status among head and neck and oral cancer patients
Context : The increase in number of cancer patients and their poor oral health South East Asia especially in India has prompted us to undertake this retrospective study Aims and Objective : The aim is to assess the oral health status of head and neck and oral cancer patients . Materials and Methods : The present cross sectional descriptive study was conducted at the oncology and radiology department of SMS medical college and hospital , Jaipur , Rajasthan , India . Patients from all the districts of Rajasthan state are being referred to this centre . Data was collected through face-to-face interviews using a standardized questionnaire applied to all cases . The questionnaire included sociodemographic variables such as smoking , alcohol consumption , family history of cancer , infectious diseases , and diet . SPSS version 20 was used for the statistical analysis . The statistical significance was determined by the Chi square test , and level of significance was set at P < 0.05 . Results : Of the cohort , male and female patients constitute 88.43 % and 11.57 % respectively . 66.53 % of the patients were having missing teeth . Decayed and filled teeth were found in 55.37 % and 7.44 % cases respectively . Conclusion : Prevention is the best possible way to fight cancer . Therefore focus should be on to have more health programs and initiatives that promote periodic oral examination .
Introduction
Cancer is currently the cause of 12 % of all deaths worldwide and is a significant global health problem with more than 10 million new cases and 6 million deaths each year worldwide . Among them , head and neck cancer ( HNC ) and oral cancer is a key form of cancer in India , accounting for 23 % of all cancers in
1 males and 6 % in females . Head and neck cancer is described as cancer of tonsil , pharynx , nasal cavity , salivary gland , hypopharynx , larynx and other . Oral cancer refers to cancer of lip , tongue , gingivae , floor of the mouth , palate ( hard and soft ), maxilla and
2,3
cheek . Smoking and alcohol consumption are widely
documented as risk factors for HNC and oral
cancer , but also nutrition , occupation , excessive exposure to ultraviolet light , human papillomavirus ( HPV ) and metabolic gene polymorphisms seem to have specific role for the development of oral cancer . Earlier epidemiological studies have provided evidence of the consequence of oral health status . Poor oral hygiene seems to cause
4
additional cancer risk . Maximum cancer cases are identified at later stages of the disease . Self-analysis and periodic visits to a trained professional are recommended for earlier diagnosis5 . Brazilian guidelines recommend the promotion of oral hygiene and regular visits to dental care professionals as preventive measures . Cautious clinical examination of the mouth must be performed in all visits to the medical doctor , even if the complaints are not located there .
* Senior lecturer ( Prosthodontics ), Adesh Dental College , Bathinda .
** Reader ( Prosthodontics ), Adesh Dental College , Bathinda .
*** Post Graduate Student ( Public Health Dentistry ), Surendera Dental College and Research Institute , SriGanganagar .
**** Reader ( Public Health Dentistry ), Surendera Dental College and Research Institute , SriGanganagar .
***** Senior Lecturer ( Periodontics ), Adesh Dental College , Bathinda .
3 14 Vol . 12 No . 23 May-August Sept-Dec 2016