Oral Cancer and Complications of Cancer Therapies _ _____________________________________________
problem that has the potential to cause an infection should be eliminated before the patient begins therapy for the bone marrow transplant.
and treated as part of the interdisciplinary clinical team, they serve as cultural brokers who ultimately enhance the clinical encounter.
CHEMOTHERAPY: DENTAL CONSIDERATIONS
CONCLUSION It has been suggested that most people know someone who has been afflicted with cancer. Whether it is a family member, friend, or relative, this group of diseases has been associated with high morbidity and high mortality rates. Medical sci- ence has made considerable breakthroughs in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Prevention of any form of cancer remains the ideal. If this cannot be realized, then early diagnosis and prompt treatment are possibly life-saving measures. Patients should be educated about the warning signs of cancer and encouraged to maintain yearly check-ups with their pri- mary care physician. If treatment for cancer ensues, patients should be informed that the potential oral complications of cancer treatment may result in fatal consequences. Continued improvement of medical technology will be a medium through which patients can be treated more effectively when cancer strikes. All members of the healthcare team must commit to providing the highest level of care and compassion for these patients. Perhaps one day cancer will be spoken of in the past tense.
PRETREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS The guidelines established for dental pretreatment of patients who will receive radiotherapy should also be followed by those receiving chemotherapy. The major additional caveat is that these patients may have decreased defense mechanisms against oral infections for an extended period of time. Like bone mar- row transplant patients, some patients receiving chemotherapy may be so immunocompromised that the cardinal signs of warmth, redness, and swelling may be completely lacking as a warning sign of an infection. It is imperative that within this patient population, any dental pathology related to the teeth, the periodontium, or the soft tissue is eliminated well in advance of chemotherapy [99]. POST-TREATMENT CONSIDERATIONS Postchemotherapy dental treatment should include frequent recall appointments to examine the oral cavity and reinforce the need for meticulous oral hygiene. Antimicrobial prophy- laxis may be required for any procedure in which bleeding is anticipated due to the increased risk for infection. Laboratory values for the formed elements of human blood may be neces- sary. The healthcare team, including dentists and oncologists, should be in communication regarding patient dental pretreat- ment and post-treatment [99; 100]. CONSIDERATIONS FOR NON-ENGLISH- PROFICIENT PATIENTS As a result of the evolving racial and immigration demograph- ics in the United States, interaction with patients for whom English is not a native language is inevitable. Because patient history and education are such vital aspects of the diagnosis of oral lesions and the prevention and treatment oral compli- cations of systemic cancer therapies, it is each practitioner’s responsibility to ensure that information and instructions are explained in such a way that allows for patient understanding. When there is an obvious disconnect in the communica- tion process between the practitioner and patient due to the patient’s lack of proficiency in the English language, an interpreter is required. In this multicultural landscape, interpreters are a valuable resource to help bridge the communication and cultural gap between patients and practitioners. Interpreters are more than passive agents who translate and transmit information back and forth from party to party. When they are enlisted
RESOURCES
American Cancer Society 1-800-227-2345 https://www.cancer.org National Cancer Institute 1-800-4-CANCER https://www.cancer.gov City of Hope 1-866-843-7557
https://www.cityofhope.org The Oral Cancer Foundation 1-949-723-4400 https://oralcancerfoundation.org
WORKS CITED https://qr2.mobi/Oral-Cancer
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EliteLearning.com/Dental
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