ArticleBMC oral health2025
Oral health-related quality of life in oral cancer patients assessed with EORTC instruments: a scoping review.
Article in BMC oral health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Metabolic syndrome confers a higher risk of oral cancer: a meta-analysis.Frontiers in oncology · 2026Pooled it
- A scientometric study on research trends and characteristics of oral health-related quality of life among head and neck cancer patients.Journal of dental sciences · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
Abstract
aimThis scoping review aimed to map how EORTC instruments have been used to assess oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients with oral and oropharyngeal cancer.
methodsFollowing JBI and PRISMA-ScR guidelines, a comprehensive literature search was conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL for studies published after 2000. Eligible studies included adult patients with oral/oropharyngeal cancer and reported outcomes using EORTC instruments.
resultsSixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Most employed the EORTC QLQ-C30 and H&N35 instruments, assessing OHRQoL across various time points. Results showed that quality of life generally declined after treatment but gradually recovered over time. QoL outcomes varied by tumor stage, HPV status, tumor site, and treatment modality. HPV-positive patients and those treated with surgery alone often reported better functional outcomes. However, EORTC tools lacked sensitivity to capture oral-specific domains such as dry mouth, mouth sores, and sensitivity to food, particularly in advanced-stage patients or those undergoing total glossectomy.
conclusionEORTC instruments are widely used in oral cancer research, but may inadequately capture key oral health-specific aspects of patient experience. The EORTC QLQ-OH15 module offers promise in addressing these gaps. Future research should integrate OH15 with existing tools and adopt standardized assessment schedules to enhance comparability and improve patient-centered care.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.