Weight loss, nutritional aspects and quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors.

Objectives: Comprehensive care is fundamental to cancer survivors enduring long-term side-effects of cancer treatment including nutrition impact symptoms and critical weight loss (CWL). The aim of our study was to address weight loss (WL), nutritional aspects, and quality of life (QoL) in head and neck cancer (HNC) survivors.

Study Design: This was a cross-sectional study of HNC patients treated at the Sapienza University-Hospital, 2018-2022.

Expression Analysis of Circulating microRNAs in Saliva and Plasma for the Identification of Clinically Relevant Biomarkers for Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma and Oral Potentially Malignant Disorders.

This study aims to evaluate the expression of salivary and plasmatic miRNAs as diagnostic biomarkers in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMDs). A total of 25 patients were divided into three groups, according to their diagnosis: OSCC patients ( = 14); OPMDs patients ( = 6); and healthy controls ( = 5). At the time at diagnosis/enrolment, patients underwent salivary and plasmatic collection.

Oral bacteriome and oral potentially malignant disorders: A systematic review of the associations.

Introduction: Periodontal bacteria can infiltrate the epithelium, activate signaling pathways, induce inflammation, and block natural killer and cytotoxic cells, all of which contribute to the vicious circle of carcinogenesis. It is unknown whether oral dysbiosis has an impact on the etiology or prognosis of OPMD.

Aims: Within this paradigm, this work systemically investigated and reported on the composition of oral microbiota in patients with oral potentially malignant disorders (OPMD) versus healthy controls.

SEM Evaluation of Thermal Effects Produced by a 445 nm Laser on Implant Surfaces.

The aim of this in vitro study was to evaluate thermal effects on implant surfaces using a 445 nm diode laser (Eltech K-Laser Srl, Treviso, Italy) with different power settings and irradiation modalities. Fifteen new implants (Straumann, Basel, Switzerland) were irradiated to evaluate surface alteration. Each implant was divided into two zones: the anterior and posterior areas.

Risk of Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma in One Hundred Patients with Oral Lichen Planus: A Follow-Up Study of Umberto I University Hospital of Rome.

This study aims to retrospectively assess the potential risk of malignant transformation in patients with diagnosed oral lichen planus (OLP) between 2015 and 2022, and to evaluate the influence of different risk factors. The department's database and medical records from 2015 to 2022 were searched for patients with a confirmed diagnosis of OLP based on both clinical and histological parameters. A total of 100 patients (59 females and 41 males) were found with a mean age of 64.

Anxiety and depression in keratotic oral lichen planus: a multicentric study from the SIPMO.

Objectives: Oral lichen planus with exclusive keratotic reticular, papular, and/or plaque-like lesions (K-OLP) is a clinical pattern of OLP that may be associated with a complex symptomatology and psychological alteration. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of anxiety (A) and depression (D) in patients with K-OLP, analyzing the potential predictors which can affect mental health status.

Methods: Three hundred K-OLP patients versus 300 healthy controls (HC) were recruited in 15 Italian universities.

Evaluation of a Novel Technique for Closure of Small Palatal Fistula.

A palatal fistula is a pathological condition that connects the nasal cavities with the oral cavity. An oral-nasal fistula is reported as a possible post-surgical complication after the removal of oral carcinomas. The presence of a palatal fistula affects the patient's quality of life, making it necessary to apply a prosthetic device, such as a palatal plate, to keep the nasal cavities separated from the oral one.

Liquid biopsy in the assessment of microRNAs in oral squamous cell carcinoma: A systematic review.

Background: The identification of non-invasive biomarkers from biological fluids collected by liquid biopsy provides new horizons for individualized therapeutic strategies and improves clinical decision-making in OSCC patients. Circulating microRNAs have emerged as biomarkers that may reflect not only the existence of cancer, but also the dynamic, malignant potential, and drug resistance of tumors. The aim of the systematic review is to evaluate and summarize the results of the published studies regarding the use of microRNAs as biomarkers for OSCC.

Dental Implant Failure Risk in Post Oncological Patients, a Retrospective Study and Sapienza Head and Neck Unit Decisional Protocol- 7 Years of Follow-Up.

(1) Background: Patients with head and neck cancer are treated by ablative surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or a combination of these. The side effects of cancer therapies can compromise conventional prosthesis rehabilitation; therefore, dental implants can result in a more effective solution. The aim of the study is to explain how to rehabilitate a patient that underwent head and neck cancer therapy.

Where do you live? North versus Central-South differences in relation to Italian patients with oral lichen planus: a cross-sectional study from the SIPMO (Italian Society of Oral Pathology and Medicine).

Background: Oral lichen planus (OLP) is an immune-mediated inflammatory chronic disease of the oral mucosa, with different patterns of clinical manifestations which range from keratotic manifestations (K-OLP) to predominantly non-keratotic lesions (nK-OLP). The aim of the study was to analyze the differences in the clinical, psychological profile and symptoms between Italian patients of the North and Central-South with K-OLP and nK-OLP.

Methods: 270 K-OLP and 270 nK-OLP patients were recruited in 15 Italian universities.

Assessment of sleep disturbance in oral lichen planus and validation of PSQI: A case-control multicenter study from the SIPMO (Italian Society of Oral Pathology and Medicine).

Background: The wellbeing of oral lichen planus patients (OLPs) may be strongly influenced by a poor quality of sleep (QoS) and psychological impairment. The aims were to analyze the prevalence of sleep disturbance, anxiety, and depression in OLPs and to validate the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) in OLPs.

Methods: Three hundred keratotic OLPs (K-OLPs), 300 with predominant non-keratotic OLP (nK-OLPs), and 300 controls were recruited in 15 Italian universities.

Prediction of Recurrence by Machine Learning in Salivary Gland Cancer Patients After Adjuvant (Chemo)Radiotherapy.

Background/aim: To investigate survival outcomes and recurrence patterns using machine learning in patients with salivary gland malignant tumor (SGMT) undergoing adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT).

Patients And Methods: Consecutive SGMT patients were identified, and a data set included nine predictor variables and a dependent variable [disease-free survival (DFS) event] was standardized. The open-source R software was used.

Regression of thymoma-induced lichenoid hypersensitivity reactions of the oral mucosa following thymoma treatment: a case report.

Thymomas are neoplasms associated with paraneoplastic disorders. Severe hypersensitivity reactions involving the oral cavity may be the first sign of an undiagnosed thymoma. Oral manifestations of an underlying thymoma may present as recurrent severe painful lesions with associated significant morbidity, often not responding to standard therapeutic measures.

What is the Risk of Developing Medication-Related Osteonecrosis in Patients With Extraction Sockets Left to Heal by Secondary Intention? A Retrospective Case Series Study.

Purpose: Tooth and root extractions represent trigger factors for medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ). The best healing modality for postextraction sockets is still debated. The aim of the study was to estimate the incidence of MRONJ after extractions whose sockets were left to heal by secondary intention.

Histological Evaluation of the Suitability of a 976 nm Diode Laser in Oral Soft Tissue Biopsies.

Introduction: Laser-induced thermal effects can preclude a safe histological evaluation of biopsy resection margins. The aim of this study was to evaluate the suitability of a 976 nm diode laser in oral soft tissue biopsies in an study.

Materials And Methods: A 976 nm diode laser (Solase®, Lazon Medical Laser, China) has been used in the contact mode, using a 400 m fiber tip, at different parameters from 4 to 6 W in the continuous wave (CW), with a fluence between 3184 and 4777 J/cm, and pulsed wave (PW) mode, with a fluence between 318,4 and 477,7 J/cm, to obtain 30 samples from fresh pig cadaver tongues.

A New Medical Record Proposal to the Prognostic Risk Assessment for MRONJ in Oncologic Patients: "Sapienza Head and Neck Unit" Proposal.

Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ) is an adverse event associated with antiresorptive and antiangiogenic drugs. The use of these drugs in the treatment of cancer patients with bone metastasis is necessary and standardized in the literature. A multidisciplinary approach for the patient's management is strongly recommended.

Laser Photobiomodulation (PBM)-A Possible New Frontier for the Treatment of Oral Cancer: A Review of In Vitro and In Vivo Studies.

The treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is particularly complex due to its aggressive behavior, location, the patient's age, and its spread at diagnosis. In recent years, photobiomodulation (PBM) has been introduced in different medical fields; however, its application, in patients suffering from OSCC for palliative support or to induce analgesia, has been hotly debated due to the possibility that the cell growth stimuli induced by PBM could lead to a worsening of the lesions. The aim of this study is to review the literature to observe the available data investigating the effect of PBM on cancer cells in vitro and in vivo.

Psychological profile and unexpected pain in oral lichen planus: A case-control multicenter SIPMO study.

Objectives: To analyze psychological profiles, pain, and oral symptoms in patients with oral lichen planus (OLP).

Materials And Methods: 300 patients with keratotic OLP (K-OLP; reticular, papular, plaque-like subtypes), 300 patients with predominant non-keratotic OLP (nK-OLP; erythematosus atrophic, erosive, ulcerative, bullous subtypes), and 300 controls were recruited in 15 universities. The number of oral sites involved and oral symptoms were recorded.

Clinical validation of 13-gene DNA methylation analysis in oral brushing samples for detection of oral carcinoma: Italian multicenter study.

Background: The aim of this Italian multicenter study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of a minimally invasive method for the detection of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) based on 13-gene DNA methylation analysis in oral brushing samples.

Methods: Oral brushing specimens were collected in 11 oral medicine centers across Italy. Twenty brushing specimens were collected by each center, 10 from patients with OSCC, and 10 from healthy volunteers.

Disinfection of Root Canals with Laser-Activated Irrigation, Photoactivated Disinfection, and Combined Laser Techniques: An Preliminary Study.

This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of laser-activated irrigation using photon-induced photoacoustic streaming (PIPS) and photoactivated disinfection (PAD) techniques and their combination to improve penetration and activation of toluidine blue in the endodontic space of teeth experimentally infected with . Twenty-seven extracted single-root teeth were instrumented, sterilized, and infected with and divided into seven groups of three teeth each: Group A [sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) 5% hand irrigation], Group B [NaClO 5% hand irrigation+ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)+NaClO 5% activated by PIPS], Group C (EDTA+NaClO 5% activated by PIPS), Group D (toluidine blue activated by PAD), Group E (toluidine blue activated by PIPS and PAD), Group F (NaClO 5% hand irrigation+toluidine blue activated by PAD), and Group G (NaClO 5% hand irrigation+toluidine blue activated by PIPS and PAD). Finally, positive and negative group controls were prepared.

Management of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) Using Leukocyte- and Platelet-Rich Fibrin (L-PRF) and Photobiomodulation: A Retrospective Study.

Background: The aim of this study was to compare retrospectively the effect of three different treatment protocols on the healing outcome in patients with established medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw (MRONJ).

Methods: A total of 34 MRONJ patients were recruited from the Department database and were divided according to the treatment protocols in a study group (G1) and two control groups (G2 and G3). G1 was treated with antibiotic therapy, surgery, leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin (L-PRF), and photobiomodulation; G2 was treated with antibiotic therapy and surgery; G3 was treated with antibiotic therapy and photobiomodulation.

Preoperative evaluation of tumor depth of invasion in oral squamous cell carcinoma with intraoral ultrasonography: a retrospective study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of preoperative intraoral ultrasonography (US) in the assessment of tumor depth of invasion (DOI) in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Study Design: Records of 32 patients with biopsy-proven OSCC who underwent preoperative intraoral US were retrospectively reviewed. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy as indicated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis were measured for US in the assessment of the infiltration of the tumor beyond the lamina propria into the submucosa.

Does Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw Influence the Quality of Life of Cancer Patients?

The aim of this study is to observe the influence of Medication-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw (MRONJ) on the physical and mental conditions of cancer patients using a Quality of Life (QoL) questionnaire during regular dental practice measures. Twenty cancer patients (8 males and 12 females) with established MRONJ were enrolled in the "MoMax" (Oral Medicine and Maxillofacial) project of the Department of Oral Sciences and Maxillofacial Surgery at "Sapienza" University of Rome, and were included in the study. The 12-item Short Form Survey was used to evaluate the QoL.