Late Complications in Long-Term Childhood Cancer Survivors: What the Oral Health Professional Needs to Know

Sali Al-Ansari, Juliette Stolze, Dorine Bresters, Alan Henry Brook, Alexa M.G.A. Laheij, Henk S. Brand, Göran Dahllöf, Frederik R. Rozema, Judith E. Raber-Durlacher*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to JournalReview articleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

With diagnostic and therapeutic advances, over 80% of children diagnosed with cancer become long-term survivors. As the number of childhood cancer survivors (CCS) continues to increase, dental practitioners become more likely to have CCS among their patients. CCS may develop late complications from damage caused by their cancer treatment to endocrine, cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, and other organ systems. These complications may surface decades after the completion of treatment. Adverse outcomes of childhood cancer treatment frequently involve oral and craniofacial structures including the dentition. Tooth development, salivary gland function, craniofacial growth, and temporomandibular joint function may be disturbed, increasing oral health risks in these individuals. Moreover, CCS are at risk of developing subsequent malignancies, which may manifest in or near the oral cavity. It is important that dental practitioners are aware of the childhood cancer history of their patients and have knowledge of potential late complications. Therefore, this narrative review aims to inform dental practitioners of late oral complications of cancer treatment modalities commonly used in pediatric oncology. Furthermore, selected common non-oral late sequelae of cancer therapy that could have an impact on oral health and on delivering dental care will be discussed.

Original languageEnglish
Article number17
Pages (from-to)1-17
Number of pages17
JournalDentistry Journal
Volume12
Issue number1
Early online date19 Jan 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jan 2024

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 by the authors.

Keywords

  • childhood cancer survivors
  • chronic oral complications
  • dental treatment
  • hyposalivation
  • late effects
  • oral care
  • pediatric cancer
  • xerostomia

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