Evaluation Of Oral Health-Related Quality Of Life In Children With Hematological Malignances
Objective: Chemotherapy and radiotherapy, used to treat childhood hematological malignancies (HM), can negatively impact oral tissues and organs. This study aimed to evaluate oral health-related quality of life in children with HM. Material and Methods: A total of 59 children, including 29 undergoing HM (21 for acute lymphocytic leukemia, 2 for acute myelocytic leukemia, 4 for Hodgkin lymphoma, and 2 for non-Hodgkin lymphoma) and 30 healthy volunteers, were included in this cross-sectional study. The mean age of the entire study group was 78.63 ± 34.41 months. The mean age of the HM and control groups was 87.12 ± 35.04 and 70.95 ± 34.85 months, respectively. The Simplified Oral Hygiene Index (SOHI), Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index, and Turkish version of the Early Childhood Oral Health Impact Scale (ECOHIS-T) were administered to all children. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22.0). Results: The age and gender distributions of the two groups were similar. The SOHI was significantly higher in the HM group, whereas the DMFT score was similar between the groups. No significant difference in the total ECOHIS-T score was observed between the two groups, but there was a group difference in the responses to questions on pain and psychological processes. Conclusions: Oral health and self-care were negatively affected by childhood HM and the treatment thereof. Close clinical dental follow-up of such patients is required. Keywords: Hematological malignancies, DMFT, Oral health-related quality of life