Patients Treated for Oral Cancer: Quality of Life and Nutrition

Method: Patients treated for oral cancer using radiotherapy were examined after, at least, 6 months of being treated. Data on sociodemographics and oral health status were gathered by interview and examination. Oral health-related quality of life was evaluated using Oral Health Impact Profile and malnutrition risk using Mini Nutritional Assessment. Statistical analyses were performed by using SPSS Windows v.17.0. (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL).

Result: The final simple included 50 patients, 72 percent males and 18 percent females, with a mean age of 64.7±12.5 years. 100 percent of participants reported at least one impact in an occasional or more frequently manner. 22 percent of patient were considered malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. A statistically significant association was found between oral health-related quality of life scores and nutritional status even when this association was adjusted for age, gender, clinical stage and follow-up time.

Conclusion: There is a statistically significant association between oral health-related quality of life scores and nutritional status.