Impact of Systemic Therapy on Oral and Dental Health in Cancer Patients

The management of cancer has changed rapidly in the last 50 years with the help of numerous innovations and successful breakthroughs in treatment. Research into the disease pathogenesis at the molecular level has given us enormous knowledge over the years leading to better survival outcomes. The modalities available for the treatment of cancer can be broadly classified into Surgery, Radiotherapy and Systemic therapy. The toxicities associated with these modalities and improvement in survival have stressed the importance of quality of life and supportive care in these patients especially oral health care. A number of oral and dental complications are encountered during oncological treatment which severely affect the quality of life. So, it is important for the oncologist and the dental surgeon to anticipate, evaluate and address these problems and help the patient in achieving a better quality of life.