The effects of oral health care on the quality of life in cancer patients at the terminal stage

Abstract

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of oral health care on the cancer patients at the end of life. 　We performed the oral health care including tooth brushing and moisturizing the oral mucosa of the cancer patients at the end of life during the one-month intervention period. QOL was quantitatively evaluated before and after oral health care by the oral examination and two questionnaires, Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index (modified GOHAI) and Japanese version MD Anderson Symptom Inventory (MDASI-J). 　The effects of the oral health care on the modified GOHAI was not significant. 　However, there was the weak correlation between the score of modified GOHAI and the frequency of the oral health care suggesting that the oral health care has the effect on the oral-health related QOL (OHRQOL). 　There was the significant difference between MDASI-J score before the oral health care and that after care, suggesting that the systemic QOL decreased. Meanwhile, there was the weak negative correlation between the score of MDASI-J and the frequency of the oral health care. 　Although the systemic QOL of the cancer patients decreased during the intervention period, the oral health care may prevent the decrease of the systemic QOL at the terminal stage.