Cancer of the oral cavity is one of the most common cancers all over the world. Oral cancer and its treatment impacts on patients’ Quality of Life (QOL). The purpose of the present study was to assess oral cancer patients’ QOL after the completion of surgical therapy, and to investigate factors affecting it. This was a prospective cohort study, conducted at the Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, of a large general public hospital in Northern Greece. The sample consisted of 135 consecutive eligible cancer patients. Three distinct questionnaires were used. The first one included questions regarding the participants’ demographic characteristics and relevant clinical information. The second comprised the European Organization for Research and Treatment core module (EORTC QLQ-C30) and its head and neck module EORTC QLQ-H&N35. The third was the Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy–General (FACT-G) assessment of quality of life. We also included the physician-completed Karnofsky scale to assess the functional status of the participants. We found that location of the tumor affects QOL and specifically social contact (H = 17.89, p = 0.001), on the first assessment, and nutritional supplements (H = 22.49, p = 0.000), on the fourth assessment. QOL in patients deteriorates immediately after treatment but significantly improves over time. Health care professionals should take into account these results and arrange care plans in order to find ways to increase patients’ QOL.

Dysphagia is the main impairment arising from glossectomy for tongue cancer treatment. The study aimed to determine if an eight-week training protocol paired with accuracy tasks and swallowing exercises is effective and can improve tongue strength and swallowing in patients after tongue resection. Maximum isometric pressures, tongue endurance, swallowing pressures, mealtime duration, and oropharyngeal swallow function were studied in patients with moderate to severe dysphagia after glossectomy. Twenty-five (25) patients and thirty-one (31) healthy participants were enrolled in the study. The therapy group (TG) consisted of seventeen (17) patients who followed an 8-week treatment protocol and had multiple measurements. The follow-up control group (FUG) consisted of eight non-treated patients who had a baseline and an 8-week follow-up examination. Healthy participants served as the reference group (RF). Maximum isometric pressures, endurance, and swallowing pressures increased significantly in the TG versus the FUG. Significant improvement was documented in the TG regarding the EAT-10 questionnaire, the Penetration-Aspiration Scale scores at thickened and solid boluses, and post-swallow residues at thickened and solid boluses. The treatment protocol with tongue strength exercises combined with accuracy tasks and swallowing exercises improves the post-operative swallowing function in patients after glossectomy. Patients in the TG had more significant and quicker improvement in pressures and endurance compared to FUG.

Objectives: The aim of this review is to focus on the possibility of patients with squamous cell carcinoma to develop a second primary disease such as DLBCL, perhaps because of the irradiation of the head and neck area. Materials and methods: A case of an 89-year-old man is reported, who initially underwent surgical and complementary treatment for neck squamous cell carcinoma of occult primary and later for tonsillar diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Results: The second primary was considered a recurrence in the neck of the original cancer of unknown primary, so a new surgical management was decided. The final pathology report described a diffuse large B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Conclusions: The importance of maintaining follow-ups for patients with occult primary cancers who are at an elevated risk of developing a metastasis or a second primary carcinoma outbreak is highlighted.