Department of Dentistry

Takao Ueno, Wakako Yatsuoka, Takeo Kanayama, Kyoko Miyamoto, Yuriko Saida, Hiromi Ishida, Chie Asano, Chihiro Morota

Introduction

Oral complications are common in patients receiving chemotherapy or undergoing radiation therapy for the head and neck.

Oral complications during cancer treatment are directly linked to ingestion problems, and may even serve as a source of various infections such as aspiration pneumonia, thereby exacerbating systemic conditions, and sometimes preventing the completion of cancer treatment with negative effects on treatment prognoses. Oral health status of patients with cancer is associated with the incidence rate and the degree of severity of oral complications. Effective oral hygiene management before initiating cancer treatment will contribute to the reduction of oral complications such as mouth sores, oral mucositis, or dental infections, and provide important support to facilitate smooth cancer treatment.

Routine activities

To prevent or reduce oral complications, we check complications during cancer treatment for oral conditions of patients, identify patients at risk, and start preventive measures before cancer therapy begins.

Our routine activities for cancer patients are listed below:

1)Management of oral complications of high-dose chemotherapy and/or stem cell transplant before treatment begins

2)Prevention and treatment of oral complications during chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy

3)Perioperative dental management for the prevention of postoperative pneumonia with oral, pharynx, and esophageal surgery

4)Making prostheses for restoration of postoperative facial defects

5)Prevention and treatment of medication-associated osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ)

6)Cooperation business of a medical department and dentistry for the solution to dental problems of cancer patients

Education

Lectures and practices concerning oral health care were regularly held for nurses and residents.

Future prospects

Making a new system that strengthen the collaboration with nurses ~ An emphasis on preventive dental intervention, carried out with the screening of oral cavity problem.

Contribute to the Medicine and Dentistry of collaboration in cancer care hospitals within the region.

Number of patients

The number of total patients : 10,893

The number of new patients : 1,628