Dibyendu Roy1*, Soumyashree Samantaray2, Ankita Patel3, Gaurav Goswami3, Neha Gupta3, Deepak Kumar Singh4, Pranya Garg5, Santosh Kumar Singh5
1Onco Rehabilitation, Apex Hospital, Varanasi, DLW, Hydil Road, Uttar Pradesh 221004, India
2Occupational Therapy, India
3Radiation Oncologist, India
4Surgical Oncologist, India
5Dental Surgeon, India
Correspondence author: Dibyendu Roy, Onco Rehabilitation, Apex Hospital, Varanasi, DLW, Hydil Road, Uttar Pradesh 221004, India;
E-mail: [email protected]
Published Date: 13-02-2024
Copyright© 2024 by Roy D, et al. All rights reserved. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Editorial
This comprehensive study conducted by Dr. Dibyendu Roy and the multidisciplinary team at Apex Hospital in Varanasi, India, sheds light on the significant impact of occupational therapy, onco rehabilitation and dental prophylaxis on the outcomes and quality of life for head and neck cancer patients, specifically those with buccal mucosa cancer who underwent hemimandibulectomy with pectoralis myocutaneous flap or antero lateral thigh flap.
The study’s design, with two distinct groups – one receiving the comprehensive intervention and the other not availing these services during Chemo-Radiation therapy – provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of the therapeutic approaches.
In group 1, where patients received occupational therapy from day 1 post-surgery, the interventions encompassed various aspects, including proper positioning, breathing exercises, respirometer use, photobiomodulation, lipomed face application, mobility exercises, modification of daily activities and dietary modifications. Furthermore, dental prophylaxis and specific exercises to address joint range of motion and lymphatic drainage were employed during chemo-radiation therapy. the results from group 1 on the 30th day post-chemo-radiation therapy were notably positive, with patients demonstrating the ability to consume liquid or semi-solid diets, minimal oral mucositis, mild xerostomia, dysgeusia and restricted joint range of motion and a Quality of Life (QoL) that was relatively unaffected (ECOG scale 1).
In contrast, group 2, which did not receive the specified interventions, experienced more severe complications. Patients were unable to consume oral diets, required Ryles tube feed, exhibited lower mouth opening, severe oral mucositis, pronounced xerostomia, dysgeusia, highly restricted joint range of motion, open sutures in some cases, poorly healed flaps, significantly compromised QoL (ECOG scale 3).
The study’s conclusion emphasizes the critical role of occupational therapy, onco rehabilitation and dental prophylaxis in managing the side effects of cancer surgeries and chemo-radiation therapy. These interventions were shown to significantly improve the QoL of cancer survivors, as evidenced by the stark contrast in outcomes between the two groups.
The study’s conclusion emphasizes the critical role of occupational therapy, onco rehabilitation and dental prophylaxis in managing the side effects of cancer surgeries and chemo-radiation therapy. These interventions were shown to significantly improve the QoL of cancer survivors, as evidenced by the stark contrast in outcomes between the two groups.
The authors, including Dr. Dibyendu Roy, Dr. Soumyashree Samantray, Dr. Pranya Garg and Dr. Ankita Patel, provide a strong foundation for future studies and interventions aimed at optimizing the care and outcomes for this specific patient population.
Keywords: Occupational Therapy; Onco Rehabilitation; Dental Prophylaxis; Cancer Patients
Conflict of Interests
The authors have no conflict of interest to declare.
Article Type
Editorial
Publication History
Received Date: 17-01-2024
Accepted Date: 03-02-2024
Published Date: 13-02-2024
Copyright© 2024 by Roy D, et al. All rights reserved. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Roy D, et al. Comparative Study to understand the Importance of Occupational Therapy, Onco Rehabilitation and Dental Prophylaxis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients. J Dental Health Oral Res. 2024;5(1):1-2.
