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Do you treat and support patients who are living with oral cancer? Then this day is for you! Dental Tribune details a CPD meeting to be held in June 2010 aiming to enhance awareness of the importance of orofacial signs and symptoms of cancer April 26-May 2, 201028 Industry News United Kingdom Edition A meeting on Oral Health- care In People Living With Cancer, will be held in London on 11th June 2010, supported by RCSEd. The single day CPD meeting, in parallel sessions, organised by Professor Crispian Scully CBE, is given by a European faculty, and also supported by the International Academy of Oral Oncology (IAOO) (www. homepages.ucl.ac.uk/~sfhvcms/ iaoo/index.html), and the Mul- tinational Association of Sup- portive Care in Cancer (MASCC) (www.mascc.org/mc/page. do;jsessionid=27FF70316F8 B947314C17F98E86CFD17. mc0?sitePageId=86907). The day is aimed at den- tists, and specialists mainly in maxillofacial surgery, oral medicine, oral surgery, spe- cial care dentistry, and otorhi- nolaryngology, as well as Den- tal Care Professionals (DCPs), and the cancer support team. The Faculty include European leaders in the field (Table 1). Supporters include Philips Oral Healthcare, Elsevier Publishers, Healthcare Learn- ing Company and HCA. The objectives are to en- hance awareness throughout the healthcare team of the importance of early detection of orofacial signs and symp- toms of cancers, and of cancer prevention. Much oral cancer presents late, at a stage when not only is more radical treat- ment necessary, but the prog- nosis is also less favourable. The meeting provides an overview of the aetiopatho- genesis of cancer (carcinoma) for the healthcare team, a broad understanding of which is crucial for coping with is- sues related to prevention, diagnosis and management. The World Health Organisa- tion (WHO), other agencies and research workers have produced a considerable amount of epidemiological data showing that oral cancer is increasing, and in younger patients. Tobac- co, alcohol and betel remain the main risk factors but the role of human papilloma viruses (HPV) in oropharyngeal cancer in par- ticular is increasingly recog- nised, as is the beneficial effect of diets rich in fruit and vegetables. Prevention is crucial if there is to be any serious progress. Preven- tion of oral cancer involves life- style decisions which afford pro- tection not only against cancers in many sites, but also against a wide range of other condi- tions, many of which are equally life-threatening. The meeting also highlights areas of controversy in the early diagnosis of oral cancer. Earlier diagnosis is likely to be achieved reliably only with the introduction of molecular studies. Early detection and treatment should reduce mort- ality rate and morbidity from cancers and their treat- ment. The role of multidiscipli- nary teams in cancer detection and management is stressed. Medical, surgical and techno- logical management advances have improved the quality of life - though the five-year overall survival of the disease has ad- vanced little at most treatment centres. The basic treatment modalities remain as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy and treatment improvements are largely directed towards reducing the complications, which remain a major issue. Patients with oral cancer may be faced with a range of unto- ward symptoms, from pain and anxiety, to dry mouth, and dis- turbed taste, eating, swallow- ing and speech (Table 2), the prevention and management of which are discussed. The importance of minimisa- tion of such adverse effects from treatments, and of good support for the oral cancer patient and their family is a major focus of the meeting. The peer-reviewed pa- pers from the meeting are published in the June issue of Oral Oncology (www.else- vier.com/wps/find/journal- description.cws_home/105/ description#description), the official journal of the European Association of Oral Medicine, the International Association of Oral Pathologists, and the IAOO. Professor Crispian Scully CBE, MD, PhD, MDS, MRCS, BSc, FDSRCS, FDSRCPS, FFDRCSI, FDSRCSE, FRCPath, FMedSci, FHEA, FUCL, DSc, DChD, DMed(HC), Dr h.c. UCL- Eastman, 256 Gray’s Inn Road, LONDON, WC1X 8LD. UK. Email: crispian.scully@eastman. ucl.ac.uk. DT Oral healthcare in people living with cancer Table 2. Challenges that may be faced by the patient with cancer Many patients Complications from radiotherapy Complications from surgery Pain Anxiety and other psychological dis- tress Disturbed taste, mastication, swal- lowing and speech Mucositis Dry mouth Osteonecrosis Trismus Dermatitis Scarring Hearing loss Laryngeal cartilage necrosis Disturbed sensation, mastica- tion, swallowing and speech Scarring Deformity Air embolus Pneumothorax Carotid blow-out Chyle leakage Salivary leakage Nerve damage Professor Jose BAGAN Spain Professor Marco CARROZZO UK Professor Luca Di ALBERTI Italy Professor Pedro Diz DIOS Spain Professor Jose-Pedro FIGUEIREDO Portugal Professor Michele GIULIANI Italy Professor Miguel GONZALEZ-MOLES Spain Dr Tim HODGSON UK Dr Vinod JOSHI UK Mr Nick KALAVREZOS UK Mr Cyrus KERAWALA UK Dr Carlos MADRID Switzerland Professor Jukka MEURMAN Finland Professor Tim NEWTON UK Dr Chris NUTTING UK Professor Stephen PORTER UK Dr Judith RABER-DURLACHER Netherlands Professor Crispian SCULLY CBE UK Professor Simon ROGERS UK Dr Rosie SHOTTS UK Professor Isaac van der WAAL Netherlands Professor Saman WARNAKULASURIYA OBE UK Table 1 Faculty involved