Head and Neck Cancer Survivors’ Perceptions of Cancer Treatment and Posttraumatic Growth

@#Introduction: Cancer patients’ perception on the treatment they received is vital to determine their adherence to cancer treatment, but important data on how this variable affects posttraumatic growth (PTG) experience by cancer patients is lacking. This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate the degree of PTG among a cohort of head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors who were within first year of diagnosis and determined the association between perception of cancer treatment received (expectation and satisfaction with cancer treatment received and the feeling about the adverse effects) and PTG controlling for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Methods: HNC survivors were recruited from two oncology referral centres, and they were administered socio-demographic and clinical characteristics questionnaire, the Malay version of the Cancer Therapy Satisfaction Questionnaire (CTSQ) (to assess the satisfaction, expectation and feeling about the adverse effects of cancer treatment received) and the Malay version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory-Short Form (PTGi-SF) (to measure the degree of PTG). Results: A total of 200 HNC survivors participated in the study. The mean total PTGI-SF score was 39.5 (standard deviation [SD] = 9.3). Greater degree of positive expectation of cancer treatment and satisfaction with cancer treatment received significantly contributed to higher level of PTG, whereas feeling about side effects of treatment was not associated with PTG, after controlling for socio-demographic and clinical characteristics. Conclusion: Incorporating psychosocial interventions (such as education on cancer treatment and counselling) into the treatment regimen may facilitate development of PTG and hence, safeguard the mental well-being of HNC patients.

Evaluation of Dental Students’ Medical History Records on Hypertension and Diabetes Mellitus at The National University of Malaysia

@#Introduction: A thorough medical history ensures safe dental practice. A good medical history guides clinicians in risk stratification to avoid medical emergencies and improve preparedness to prevent patient morbidity and mortality. This clinical audit aims to analyse the medical history taken by the dental students in patients with hypertension and/or diabetes mellitus (DM) and subsequently, recommend improvements in history-taking components in the dental practice. Methods: Hundred and two patients’ folders from the Faculty of Dentistry were examined by two independent auditors using a validated history-taking evaluation form. Six components of the medical history were classified as good or bad practices. Sociodemographic factors and distribution of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA status) were described. The level of completeness of medical history records with years of study was assessed using the Chi-square test. Results: None of the students met 100% of the components required in medical history taking. Year three undergraduates performed poorly in the completeness of diagnosis and control of the medical condition whereby none of them had a good level of practice. The completeness of records did not differ between years of study except for diagnosis (p=0.026), control (p<0.001) and updating medical history (p=0.009) whereby the postgraduates had the best practice. Conclusion: This study highlighted marked deficiencies in taking a thorough medical history. Adaptation of the European Medical Risk Related History (EMRRH) form is recommended to be implemented in dental schools.