[Corticotherapy and stomatologic oncology]

Long-term use of corticoids had proved beneficial in the treatment of advanced stomatological cancers, the effective dose being 40 mg of prednisone per day. In so far as it is possible to distinguish any specific action on individual symptoms, its action on pain was obvious in 40% of cases, on inflammation and infection in 52% of cases on fever (independent of infection) in 14% of cases, on oedema in 34% of cases. It was almost invariably favourable on the general condition. The method of using it emphasize how easy it is to use corticoids by injection which is of particular value in our speciality in view of: dysphagia, administration of large doses, deficiencies in the general condition, sometimes a matter of urgency. The counter-indications usually recognized for corticoids need to be modified in the case of cancer patients. Incidents occur surprisingly rarely and are minor relative to the advantages of the therapy, provided the patient is kept under strict supervision.