Influence of the Oral Health Assessment Tool Score on Survival of Patients With Esophageal Cancer

Abstract

Background/Aim: We investigated the influence of the preoperative Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT) score on the outcomes of patients with esophageal cancer after curative surgery. Patients and Methods: This study included 90 patients with esophageal cancer who underwent curative surgery and who were screened with the OHAT between 2008 and 2021. The OHAT consists of eight categories with three possible scores. The risk factors for 5- year overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS) were identified. Results: Patients were divided into healthy (n=42) and unhealthy (n=48) groups. The OHAT score was identified as a significant risk factor for postoperative pneumonia (11.9% vs. 43.8%, p=0.001) and postoperative hospital stay (20.5 days vs. 50.1 days, p=0.042). The 5-year OS rate after surgery was 71.2% in the healthy group and 43.2% in the unhealthy group, which was a significant difference (p=0.015). A multivariate analysis showed that a high OHAT score was a significant independent factor for 5-year OS (p=0.034). Conclusion: The OHAT score was a useful prognostic marker in patients who underwent curative surgery for esophageal cancer. To improve the oncological outcomes of patients with esophageal cancer, it is necessary to carefully plan perioperative oral/dental care using the OHAT score.