Radiation caries impacts morbidity and mortality outcomes in head and neck cancer survivors

Abstract

Abstract Purpose: Radiation caries (RC) is a highly prevalent chronic complication of head and neck radiotherapy (HNRT) and a challenge for clinicians and patients. The present study aimed to assess the impact of RC on the morbidity and mortality outcomes of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients. Methods: Patients were divided into 3 groups: RC (n=20), control (n=20) and edentulous (n=20). Information regarding the number of appointments, dental procedures, osteoradionecrosis (ORN), prescriptions, and hospital admissions werecollected. Mortality outcomes were assessed through disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) rates. Results: RC patients required more dental appointments (p<0.001), restorations (p<0.001), extractions (p=0.001), and antibiotic and analgesic prescriptions (p<0.001). Kaplan–Meier subgroup analyses showed a significantly impaired risk of ORN in RC compared to edentulous patients (p=0.015). RC presented lower DFS rates (46.5 months) than the control and edentulous groups (53.5 and 52.8 months, respectively). Conclusion: RC impacts morbidity outcomes for cancer survivors due to increased demand for medication prescriptions, multiple specialized dental appointments, invasive surgical treatments, risk of ORN, and hospital admissions.