Introduction: The side effects and adverse reactions related to cancer therapies may cause significant alterations in the oral cavity, discomfort or even severe pain in parts of the body, patient’s nutritional deficiency, delay in the administration of oncologic drugs or dose limitation, an increase of hospitalization time and of the related expenses, as well as a decrease in the patient’s quality of life. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the deleterious effects of cancer therapies in the oral cavity. Material and methods: Data was gathered from medical records of the treatment of 643 cancer patients at the São José Hospital, in Joinville, state of Santa Catarina, from January to September 2012. Among the records selected for this study, 59.41% were female patients, with a mean age of 51 to 60 years. Results: Oral complications were reported in 72.47% of the patients, and the complication with the highest prevalence was mucositis (14.62%) followed by dry mouth (10.58%). Most of the patients had not received dental care prior to the cancer treatment, and no dental record was found. Conclusions: Several different oral disorders were reported as a result of cancer treatment, and a significant number of patients needed dental evaluation prior to the treatment.
Systematic reviews and guidelines for oral complications of cancer therapies: current challenges and future opportunities
