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Antineoplastic therapy is an independent risk factor for dental caries in childhood cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study

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Abstract

Purpose

To evaluate the antineoplastic therapy (AT) as a risk factor for dental caries lesions independent of other risk factors such as income, family education, stimulated salivary flow rate, hygiene habits, frequency of sugar intake, and microbiota in childhood cancer (CC) patients.

Methods

72 individuals were divided into CC patients (n=36) and healthy individuals (control group - CT n=36). Demographic data, hygiene habits, frequency of sugar intake, CC type, and AT were collected. Stimulated salivary flow rate was measured and the presence and concentration of Streptococcus mutans were assessed using a real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) technique. Clinical evaluations included plaque index (PI) and decayed-missing-filled-teeth index (dmft/DMFT). Descriptive statistics, T-test, Mann-Whitney test, chi-square test, Fisher’s exact test, and two-way analysis of variance were used for data analysis (p<0.05).

Results

At the time of oral evaluation, both groups exhibited similar ages with means of 12.0±3.9 years old for CC and 12.0±4.0 years old for CT patients. All CC patients underwent chemotherapy with nine also undergoing radiotherapy. Significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of color/race, income, family education, and hygiene habits. However, no statistically significant differences were found between groups regarding the frequency of sugar intake, stimulated salivary flow rate, or the concentration of Streptococcus mutans (qPCR technique). For clinical parameters, the DMF (CC:1.80, CT: 0.75), decayed (CC: 0.88, CT: 0.19), missing (CC: 0.25, CT:0), and PI (CC: 30.5%, CT: 22.6%) were higher in the CC group (p<0.05).

Conclusion

Childhood cancer (CC) patients undergoing antineoplastic therapy (AT) exhibit a higher prevalence of dental caries, regardless of income/education, frequency of sugar intake, stimulated salivary flow rate, and microbiota.

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Data availability

Data generated by the analysis of the primary data from this study are included in this published article. All data and materials are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Funding

This study was performed by Bruna C. Longo as partial fulfillment of PhD degree at the State University of Maringá, Paraná, Brazil. It was partially supported by the Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dentistry, State University of Maringá (UEM), Av Mandacaru, 1550, Campus Universitário, Maringá, PR, Brazil

    Bruna C. Longo & Cléverson O. Silva

  2. Department of Dentistry, State University of Western Parana (UNIOESTE), Cascavel, PR, Brazil

    Isabel B. Rohling, Pauline L. M. O. E. Silva & Maria Daniela B. Souza

  3. Department of Prosthodontics and Periodontics, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

    Hélvis E. S. Paz & Renato C. V. Casarin

Authors
  1. Bruna C. Longo
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  2. Isabel B. Rohling
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  3. Pauline L. M. O. E. Silva
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  4. Hélvis E. S. Paz
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  5. Renato C. V. Casarin
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  6. Maria Daniela B. Souza
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  7. Cléverson O. Silva
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation, data collection, and analysis were performed by Bruna C. Longo, Isabel B. Rohling, Pauline L. M. O. E. Silva, Hélvis E. S. Paz, Renato C. V. Casarin, Maria Daniela B. de Souza, and Cléverson O. Silva. The first draft of the manuscript was written by Bruna C. Longo and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cléverson O. Silva.

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Ethics approval

This study was performed in line with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Approval was granted by the Ethics Committee for Human Research of the State University of Western Parana (UNIOESTE) (CAAE 4.244.416) and the Ethics Committee of the UOPECCAN Hospital (121/2020).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Longo, B.C., Rohling, I.B., Silva, P.L.M.O.E. et al. Antineoplastic therapy is an independent risk factor for dental caries in childhood cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study. Support Care Cancer 32, 316 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-024-08523-1

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