About this trial
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if an oral care programme can prevent or reduce late oral side effects in patients with head and neck cancer following treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are:
* Can additional support from hospital dental care for cancer survivors, up to three years after completion of treatment, improve patients' oral health, nutritional status, quality of life, and reduce stress and anxiety compared to standard care? * Are there differences in oral health outcomes between younger and older individuals receiving additional support from hospital dental care? * Can additional support from hospital dental care for cancer survivors, up to three years after completion of treatment, reduce the duration of sick leave and enhance patients' ability to return to work compared to standard care? * Can additional support from hospital dental care for cancer survivors, up to five years after completion of treatment, be cost-effective from a health economic perspective?
Researchers will compare oral care programme to standard care to see if the programme works to improve oral health, reduce oral symptoms and problems, enhance quality of life and lower the economic costs of healthcare
Participants will:
Participate in an oral care programme, every three months for three years.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
patients (≥ 18 years)
diagnosed with HNC
scheduled for treatment with curative intent, including RT or CRT with or without surgery
Disqualifiers
severe alcoholism
cognitive impairment
inability to understand the Swedish language
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Oral health support
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Uppsala University
Lead sponsor
Region Västerbotten
Collaborator
Region Östergötland
Collaborator
Sjöbergstiftelsen
Collaborator
The Stig & Ragna Gorthon Foundation, Helsingborg
Collaborator
Swedish Cancer Society
Collaborator
Region of Uppsala
Collaborator
Region Skane
Collaborator