New test series for the functional evaluation of oral cavity cancer

Abstract
There are few studies that have addressed themselves to measuring speech, swallowing function and the “quality of life” of patients that have been treated for oral cavity cancer. The goal of this study was to develop a test series to assess the oral cavity function and the general health of patients treated for oral cavity cancer. The results of 51 patients treated for oral cavity cancer will be compared by the site and stage of the lesion, as well as by treatment mode. In addition, the functional results achieved by different reconstructive techniques in the oral cavity will be presented. Radiotherapy patients as a group have the best speech and swallowing function while the patients treated with combined therapy have the worst function. In the surgical group, those patients treated with intraoral skin grafts had the best speech results and those with primary closures had the best swallowing performance.