ABSTRACT
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death in the United States. Patients treated with chemotherapy, especially patients undergoing bone marrow and peripheral stem cell transplants, frequently suffer oral complications. The dentist is responsible for detecting and treating all active and potential sources of oral infection, in addition to providing follow-up care for the patient, in a manner that does not delay the treatment of the cancer.
Subject(s)
Mouth Diseases/chemically induced , Neoplasms/drug therapy , Antineoplastic Agents/adverse effects , Bone Marrow Transplantation , Humans , Incidence , Mouth Diseases/prevention & control , Neoplasms/mortality , Opportunistic Infections/prevention & control , Stem Cell Transplantation , United States/epidemiologyABSTRACT
The dentist is integral to managing care for patients with head and neck cancer. Oral complications may manifest during and/or following radiation therapy and can last for the lifetime of the individual. This article reviews a number of these complications as well as the resources available to dentists for managing care of radiation oncology patients and improving their quality of life.
