Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck

doi:10.1136/bmj.326.7383.282

BMJ 2003;326:282 ( 1 February )

Letters

Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck

Oral care for patients with cancer needs more than lip service

Precancerous lesions in oral cavity of Indian schoolchildren may hint at epidemic

Oral care for patients with cancer needs more than lip service

The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.

EDITOR $---$ I had hoped to see a mention of the need for oral care for patients with cancer in the review article by Sandersonet al on squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck, but Iwas again disappointed.¹ Patients with head and neck cancersmust receive a dental assessment and oral care before and aftertheir treatment to ensure minimisation of oral complications foran improved quality of life. The clinical guidelines publishedby the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 2000 state thata clear pathway of care is necessary to prevent or minimise oralcomplications.²

However, many patients with cancer still receive no proper dental assessment or preventive treatment to minimise or avertthe known and common oral complications of radiation treatment.This may be due, in part, to the lack of resources and recognisedlocal standards of dental care for such patients, as well . . . [Full text of this article]

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Squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck • Commentary: Head and neck carcinomas in the developing world: R J Sanderson, J A D Ironside, and William I Wei
BMJ 2002 325: 822-827. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]