Top tips for treating patients with a history of head and neck cancer

from the British Dental Journal

Head and neck cancer (HNC) is the seventh most common cancer globally and there are more than 12,000 new diagnoses each year in the UK.1 Survival rates have remained largely unchanged over the last 50 years, with UK survival rates at five years between 28-67%, depending on the stage and site.1 In Aotearoa New Zealand Head and Neck Cancer affects over 600-700 people per year.

Patients diagnosed with HNC may have surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy - or a combination of these. Treatment intent may be curative or palliative. Regardless of which treatment modality is used or what treatment intent is, all surgical and medical treatment may impact on the patient's oral health and the provision of dentistry.

Read more here…https://www.nature.com/articles/s41415-024-7910-x