Post-glossectomy in lingual carcinomas: a scope for sign language in rehabilitation.

The treatment option for cancers of the tongue is glossectomy, which may be partial, sub-total, or total, depending on the size of the tumour. Glossectomies result in speech deficits for these patients, and rehabilitative therapy involving communication modalities is highly recommended. Sign language is a possible therapeutic solution for post-glossectomy oral cancer patients.

Sign language in dental education-A new nexus.

Focus: The introduction of the landmark mandatory teaching of sign language to undergraduate dental students at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus in Kingston, Jamaica, to bridge the communication gap between dentists and their patients is reviewed.

Literature Review: A review of over 90 Doctor of Dental Surgery and Doctor of Dental Medicine curricula in North America, the United Kingdom, parts of Europe and Australia showed no inclusion of sign language in those curricula as a mandatory component.

History Of Sign Language In Dental Education: In Jamaica, the government's training school for dental auxiliaries served as the forerunner to the UWI's introduction of formal training of sign language in 2012.

Use of Jamaican Sign language in the provision of dental health care.

The United Nations Development Assistance Framework for Jamaica 2012-2016 identifies as an outcome increased access to improved quality health and education services for socially excluded and at risk populations. The Deaf Jamaican population can be categorised as a socially excluded population. The communication barrier resulting from their deafness often leads to difficulties in accessing healthcare.

Emerging drugs for urothelial (bladder) cancer.

Metastatic urothelial carcinoma has been associated with poor prognosis and a median survival of approximately 12-14 months with standard therapy. Treatment options for decades have been limited to platinum based chemotherapy as first line with few therapeutic options available to the majority who will ultimately progress beyond platinum. Areas covered: This review focuses on the various targeted, antiangiogenic, chemotherapeutic and immunotherapeutic agents currently being developed for the treatment of urothelial carcinoma.

Depression among adolescents, aged 13-19 years, attending secondary schools in Trinidad: prevalence and associated factors.

Objective: To determine the prevalence of depression and psychosocial factors associated with depression in secondary school students in Trinidad

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of a stratified random sample of public secondary schools utilizing a modified pre-tested self-administered Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) to detect depression in students aged 13-19 years in Trinidad.

Results: In this study, 1290 students participated, a response rate of 79.6%; 43% were aged 13-15 years; 53.