Effect of the Oral Care Intervention Protocol (OCIP) on the Oral Health Scores of Head and Neck Cancer Patients Receiving Radiation/Chemoradiation

Abstract

Background Head and neck cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy may experience a notable and frequently sudden decline in their oral health. These alterations include oral mucositis that develops during and shortly after treatment, candida infections, trouble speaking, difficulty eating, bleeding gums, and tissue fibrosis. Materials and Methods The study aimed to determine the effectiveness of oral care protocol intervention on oral health and oral complications. These patients were observed every week for up to 6 weeks until the completion of radiation therapy/chemoradiation. An experimental design using a Randomized Controlled Trial was adopted for the study. After obtaining the informed consent, the data were collected from 80 head and neck cancer patients. Results The majority, i.e., 51.2%, were in the experimental group, and 52.5% were in the age group of 56 years and above. Most patients were males, 92.5% in the experimental group and 87.5% in the control group. A maximum number of the patients, i.e., 42.5% in the experimental group and 32.5% in the control group, were diagnosed to have tongue cancer. Regarding the treatment details of the participants, most of the participants, i.e., 57.5% in the experimental group and 67.5% in the control group, received chemoradiation as the treatment plan. Among all the oral complications, the median days to develop mucositis (p = .015), taste loss (p = .028), swallowing difficulty (p = .004), infection (p = .017), xerostomia (p = .004) and bleeding gums (p = .025) were statistically significant in comparison with control, indicating that the intervention was effective. As treatment progressed, the severity of these structural changes and functional activities increased in both groups. Over the weeks, the severity of the oral problems increased in both groups (p < .001). Conclusion Compared to the standard of oral care, oral care intervention improved oral health among cancer patients receiving radiation therapy/chemoradiation. The findings of this study can also contribute to justifying the evidence for using an oral care protocol for head and neck cancer patients.