DENTAL CONDITION OF ORAL SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA PATIENTS IN A HUNGARIAN POPULATION

Abstract

The prevalence of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is higher in Hungary than in most other countries. Predisposing factors such as poor oral health are also quite frequent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the oral condition of OSCC patients, tumour free, age and gender matched controls and healthy young controls before the prevalidation of salivary biomarkers.

Methods: Between 1 January 2013 and 31 December 2013, at the University of Debrecen, Faculty of Dentistry, Department of Periodontology, the oral condition of 33 OSCC patients (27 male, 6 female), 30 agematched tumour free (27 male, 3 female), and 29 healthy young controls (18 male, 11 female) was assessed. Participants provided signed informed consent and the study was given ethics approval from the Ethics Committee of the University of Debrecen . OSCC patients were diagnosed in the Department of Maxillofacial Surgery (Sz.A, R.P), controls were chosen at primary examination office (clinic) and were referred to the examiners (T.I, F.M). Oral examination included panoramic and periapical radiographs and a detailed oral, periodontal charting (Silness- Löe (1964) plaque index (PI), Löe- Silness (1963) gingival index (GI)), and caries charting (localization of caries, fillings, prosthetic devices, canal fillings, roots, missing teeth). DMFT, DT, MT, FT, and DMFS were recorded for all patients. Data were entered into SPSS 22 and statistical evaluation- descriptive statistics involving comparison of variables (ANOVA, and Bonferroni post-hoc analysis) - was performed.

Results: OSCC patients had the following mean scores: PI: 0.8, GI: 1.3, DMFT: 26.4, and DMFS: 119.5. Age- matched OSCC free controls had mean scores of PI: 0.4, GI: 0.6, DMFT: 23.5, DMFS: 100.3. Young controls had mean scores of PI: 0.03, GI: 0.09, DMFT: 4.6, DMFS: 7.8. PI and GI. Values differed significantly (p≤0.05) amongst groups. For DMFT and DMFS the young controls differed from the other two groups in a significant manner.

Conclusions: These findings are in accordance with previous findings that OSCC patients have a worse periodontal condition than matched OSCC free controls. Periodontopathogenic bacteria may directly stimulate tumour cell growth.