Association Between Oral Health Status and Survival Time in Terminally Ill Cancer Patients

Patients with terminal cancer often experience various oral problems. Whether oral health status is associated with the survival of terminally ill cancer patients receiving palliative care remains unclear.

We analyzed the data of 59 Korean patients with terminal cancer receiving palliative care, including their oral health status, using a modified Korean version of the Oral Health Assessment Tool (OHAT). Patients were categorized into "Good," "Moderate," or "Poor" groups based on OHAT scores. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to compare the median survival time, and the prognosis between groups was estimated using Cox proportional hazard models.

The most common oral symptoms observed were xerostomia (69.5%) and mucositis (17.0%). Significantly shorter survival times were observed in patients with hyperbilirubinemia, elevated creatinine levels, and no use of dentures. The "Poor" group had a shorter survival than the "Good" oral group (P = .010). A multivariate Cox proportional hazards analysis revealed that the "Poor" group was significantly associated with poor survival compared to the "Good" group (hazard ratio, 2.05; P = .047).

Terminally ill cancer patients with poor oral health may have a higher risk of shorter survival. Palliative care professionals should pay attention to oral health. Further research is needed to determine the effects of oral care on survival.