Supportive Care in Head and Neck Cancer Patients: The Role of Occupational Therapist. Review

Abstract

Background: Patients diagnosed with malignant head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy have negative impacts on oral health and, consequently, on quality of life, especially in older patients who already have peculiar age changes and altered physiological conditions. Radiotherapy in the head and neck region can cause some side effects, such as hyposalivation, xerostomia, mucositis, dysgeusia, dysphagia, trismus, candidiasis, osteoradionecrosis and radiation-related caries. Thus, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to increase the chances of successful treatment of side effects. This review focused on the role of the occupational therapist in the care of patients with head and neck cancer. Methods: A literature search was carried out in the MEDLINE database from the year 2010 to 2021.Conclusion: The multidisciplinary approach provides improvements in oral functions, directly affecting the quality of life and survival of cancer patients. Therefore, it is extremely important to aggregate occupational therapy actions in multidisciplinary care involving other professionals, such as dentists in order to promote an adequate treatment for this category of patients.