Associated factors with health-compromising behaviors among patients treated for oral cancer.

BACKGROUND: To improve eradication strategies of health-compromising behaviors between oral cancer survivors, this study aimed to explore the extent of clustering of risk behaviors and to assess possible factors associated. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was carried out among oral cancer patients at least 6 months after treatment. They completed a questionnaire about smoking, alcohol consumption, oral hygiene habits and dental visits. Presence of clusters was evaluated through pairwise Pearson correlations and principal component analysis. Factors associated with each identified cluster were analyzed with multivariate models. RESULTS: Among 142 patients, 14.8% smoked, 51.7% consumed alcohol, 52.1% performed oral hygiene less than twice a day, and 74.6% visited to dentist when there was a problem or never. There were two distinct clusters: smoking-alcohol consumption (general risk behaviors cluster) and oral hygiene-dental attendance (oral risk behaviors cluster). Multivariate analysis showed significant associations between males and both clustering patterns of health compromising behaviors, patients with clinical stage I or with longer follow-up and the presence of general risk behaviors cluster and worse social class and the presence of oral risk behaviors cluster. CONCLUSIONS: A high proportion of patients treated for oral cancer presented health-compromising behaviors occurring in clusters which reinforce the need for health promotion strategies to target multiple behaviors. Factors analyzed suggest that chances of having detrimental behavioral clustering are higher in male, patients with clinical stage I, with lower social class and those with longer follow-up after treatment.

Treatment of xerostomia and hyposalivation in the elderly: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Therapeutic strategies for xerostomia, regardless of etiology, have so far not had definitive or clearly effective results. OBJECTIVES: To systematically revise the latest scientific evidence available regarding the treatment of dry mouth, regardless of the cause of the problem. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The literature search was conducted in March 2015, using the Medline and Embase databases. The "Clinical Trial", from 2006 to March 2015, was carried out in English and only on human cases. The draft of the systematic review and assessment of the methodological quality of the trials was carried out following the criteria of PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) and the "Oxford Quality Scale". RESULTS: Finally, a total of 26 trials were identified that met the previously defined selection and quality criteria; 14 related to drug treatments for dry mouth, 10 with non-pharmacological treatment and 2 with alternative treatments. CONCLUSIONS: Pilocarpine continues to be the best performing sialogogue drug for subjects with xerostomia due to radiation on head and neck cancer or diseases such as Sjogren's Syndrome. For patients with dry mouth caused solely by medication, there are some positive indications from the use of malic acid, along with other elements that counteract the harmful effect on dental enamel. In general, lubrication of oral mucous membrane reduces the symptoms, although the effects are short-lived.

Bases moleculares de la cancerización de cavidad oral / Molecular basis on oral cavity cancerization

Se presenta una revisión bibliográfica breve sobre los principales aspectos moleculares de interés en la cancerización de cavidad oral. Se hace referencia a los conocimientos más recientes sobre las aberraciones cromosómicas más comunes y las alteraciones de los oncogenes y genes supresores tumorales que están implicados en la carcinogénesis oral. Así mismo, se resume la teoría molecular actual que explica el proceso de cancerización de campo (AU)

A review about the main molecular aspects on oral cavity cancerization is presented, with special reference to the common chromosomal aberration, oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes implied in oral carcinogenesis. A summary about molecular theory explaining the field cancerization process is also presented (AU)