Worsening of Oral Health Parameters After Head and Neck Radiotherapy-Findings from a Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Tumor Board: A Prospective Observational Study.

@article{rupe2026worsening,
  title = {{Worsening of Oral Health Parameters After Head and Neck Radiotherapy-Findings from a Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Tumor Board: A Prospective Observational Study.}},
  author = {Cosimo Rupe and Gioele Gioco and Benedetta Corraro and Anna Schiavelli and Silvia Longo and Francesco Pastore and Mariangela Massaccesi and Maria Antonietta Gambacorta and Francesco Miccichè and Raffaella Castagnola and Jacopo Galli and Stefano Settimi and Luca Raffaelli and Alessandra Cassano and Massimo Cordaro and Carlo Lajolo},
  journal = {Cancers},
  year = {2026},
  month = oct,
  doi = {10.3390/cancers18193211},
  url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882905},
  note = {CC BY},
}

TY  - JOUR
TI  - Worsening of Oral Health Parameters After Head and Neck Radiotherapy-Findings from a Multidisciplinary Head and Neck Tumor Board: A Prospective Observational Study.
AU  - Cosimo Rupe
AU  - Gioele Gioco
AU  - Benedetta Corraro
AU  - Anna Schiavelli
AU  - Silvia Longo
AU  - Francesco Pastore
AU  - Mariangela Massaccesi
AU  - Maria Antonietta Gambacorta
AU  - Francesco Miccichè
AU  - Raffaella Castagnola
AU  - Jacopo Galli
AU  - Stefano Settimi
AU  - Luca Raffaelli
AU  - Alessandra Cassano
AU  - Massimo Cordaro
AU  - Carlo Lajolo
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/05
JO  - Cancers
DO  - 10.3390/cancers18193211
UR  - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42882905
AB  - Objectives  To evaluate (a) changes in caries experience, (b) changes in periodontal status, and (c) the need for dental extractions in a cohort of patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) and chemoradiotherapy (RTCT) for head and neck cancer (HNC).Methods  This prospective cohort study was approved by the local Ethics Committee (Ref. 22858/18) and registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (ID: NCT04009161). The study population consisted of patients with HNC who, prior to RT, underwent a dental examination followed by the elimination of oral foci of infection and were then enrolled in a follow-up program. The primary outcome was oral health worsening, defined as the onset of severe periodontitis and/or a DMFt score ≥ 13. Oral cavity RT dose was obtained contouring the 'buccal mucosa' organ at risk (OAR).Results  In total, 113 patients were included (median follow-up: 44.77 months). The sample mainly included oral, oropharyngeal, nasopharyngeal and laryngeal cancers (89/113, 78.8%). Salivary glands, hypopharynx and other sites accounted for a minority of the cases (24/113, 21.2%). Seventeen patients (34.7%) experienced worsening of oral health status over time, which was associated with smoking (OR = 4.7, 95% CI: 1.27-17.37; p = 0.02). The DMFt index increased (difference: 4.08; 95% CI: 1.60-6.56; p = 0.001), and this increase was associated with smoking (β = 2.05, 95% CI: 0.27-3.83; p = 0.02). Although worsening of periodontitis stage was not statistically significant (p = 0.35), localized deterioration was observed, with an increase in sites with PPD ≥ 5 mm (p = 0.02). Forty-nine patients (43.4%) experienced tooth loss. Mean tooth loss was 2.12 teeth per patient (p = 0.05), primarily due to caries (48.5%) and periodontitis (48.1%). Independent risk factors for tooth loss were age (p = 0.025) and an RT dose > 60 Gy to the 'buccal mucosa' OAR (p = 0.023).Conclusions  Patients treated with RT experienced significant deterioration in dental and periodontal health, and oral cavity dosimetric parameters might be associated with tooth loss, although this association requires confirmation in further studies.
SN  - 2072-6694
ER  -