Post-Radiation Oral Health in Underserved Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Purpose

This is a pilot study evaluates the feasibility and outcomes of providing fluoride varnish treatment during routine cancer surveillance visits for post-radiation head and neck cancer patients with limited access to dental care.

Conditions

  • Head and Neck Cancer
  • Head and Neck Carcinoma
  • Head and Neck Neoplasms

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Over 18 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  1. >18 years old who are uninsured or underinsured (MediCal, Healthy SF) or have full coverage. 2. Patients who have received immunotherapy or enhanced chemotherapy regimens. 3. Patients or health and dental care providers who are able to provide their own informed written consent.

Exclusion Criteria

  1. >18 years old. 2. Patients, caregivers, health and dental care providers who are able to provide their own informed written consent.

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Non-Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Fluoride Varnish Treatment (Participant) 		Participants will received Medicom Duraflor Ultra White 5% Sodium Fluoride varnish treatments during their routine cancer surveillance visits every 3-6 month for about 1 year. During these visits, participants will complete short surveys, provide saliva samples, and have photos taken of their teeth before and after the treatment. Health and dental care providers will also be asked to complete a survey about fluoride treatment delivered.
  • Other: Surveys
    Participants will complete surveys to collect information about their dental health before and after fluoride varnish treatment. Healthcare and dental providers will complete a survey to assess the feasibility of the fluoride varnish treatment.
  • Procedure: Saliva Collection
    Participants will provide a saliva sample for pH measurement.
  • Procedure: Intra-oral photographs
    Images of participants' teeth will be taken to assess the Decayed, Missing, and Filled Teeth (DMFT) index.
  • Device: Fluoride Varnish Treatment
    Participants will receive 4-5 fluoride varnish treatment every 3 month over the course of a year. Treatment is delivered during cancer surveillance visits. Participant will also receive dental care educational materials.
Other
Interview 		The research team will interviews with participants, caregivers, and healthcare and dental providers.
  • Other: Interview (Participant)
    Participants and caregivers will share their experiences accessing dental care, identify barriers to care, and provide their views on integrating preventive dental care into routine medical care. Healthcare and dental providers will share their observations about patient access to dental care and their views on integrating preventive dental care into routine medical care.

Recruiting Locations

Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital (ZSFG)
San Francisco, California 94110
Contact:
Alyssa Civantos, MD
877-827-3222
alyssa.civantos@ucsf.edu

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
University of California, San Francisco

Study Contact

Alyssa Civantos, MD
877-827-3222
alyssa.civantos@ucsf.edu

Detailed Description

PRIMARY OBJECTIVES: I.To describe the baseline knowledge and access to dental care of underinsured/uninsured head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation at University California of San Francisco (UCSF) and Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center (ZSFG). II.To pilot and characterize the feasibility and outcomes of an in-clinic fluoride varnish dental treatment paired with routine cancer surveillance for post-radiation head and neck cancer patients who do not have reliable access to dental care III.To develop readily accessible patient educational material for dental care after radiation treatment for HNC. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES: I. Explore barriers and facilitators to adapting an integrated preventative fluoride intervention into clinical care for HNC patients through qualitative interviews. II. Co-design patient advocacy materials and a clinician implementation toolkit to provide a framework for adopting this intervention diverse community-based settings