Impact of improved dental services on the frequency of oral complications of cancer therapy for patients with non-head-and-neck malignancies.

An earlier study by our group reported a frequency of about 40% for oral problems associated with cancer therapy for patients with non-head-and-neck malignancies. Since then, we have instituted a variety of preventive and treatment protocols aimed at the aggressive management of the mouth in patients being treated for malignant disease. In the present study we evaluated the frequency and nature of oral problems associated with cancer treatment in 495 patients treated for non-head-and-neck malignancies between 1978 and 1986. Our analysis indicates that the frequency of oral problems in the study population was 10.5%, compared to 38.7% in 1978. The specific nature and distribution of oral problems by diagnosis, by patient's age, and by type were remarkably consistent. Our results suggest that early and aggressive dental intervention in standardized protocols reduces the frequency of oral problems associated with cancer therapy.