Pallative Oral Care - A Healing Hand: An Overview

Oral cancer is the 6" most common malignancy, is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide. The International Agency for Research on Cancer GLOBOCAN project aspredicted that India's cancer burden will nearly double in the next 20 years. The mostcommon intra oral subtype is Squamous Cell Carcinoma [WHO). Palliative care is a multidisciplinary approach that relives and prevents the suffering of terminally-ill patients. Itcovers the physical, emotional, spiritual and social aspects of problems arising in such patients. WHO defined palliative care as "The active total care of the patient who have life threateningdisease and unable to respond to curative treatment". The goal of oral medicine of palliative care is to prevent or treat as early as possible symptoms, side effects in response totreatment of disease. Oral medicine specialist may be the first person to diagnose the case of oral cancer and an early definitive intervention improves both prognosis and survival of the patient. The common oral problems faced are pain, discomfort, xerostomia, dysphagia, stomatitis, mucositis, candidiasis and speech that can significantly hamper the quality of life. At present the treatment method include surgery. radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Along with cure of disease in such patient it is also necessary to prevent or to alleviate symptoms and sufferings.In this paper a brief attempt is made to list a few areas in which an oral medicine specialist can help the other members of palliative care team and also the patient in leading a better life.