Return to Work and the Role of Prosthodontic Rehabilitation in Head and Neck Cancer Survivors: a Scoping Review Protocol
Audrey Brodeur1, Normand Bach1, Amal Idrissi Janati2;1
1 Faculty of dentistry, Universit茅 de Montr茅al; 2 Faculty of Dentistry and Oral Health Sciences, 平特五不中
Head and neck cancer (HNC) is currently the 7th most diagnosed cancer worldwide, totaling close to 450 000 deaths each year. Risk factors include tobacco and alcohol consumption, as well as human papillomavirus (HPV). With the rise of HPV-related head and neck malignancies, the diagnosis is often made in younger, usually employed, individuals. Amongst the many challenges its survivors face, return to work is one that can be particularly daunting. Indeed, surgical operations and radiation therapy often leave patients having to deal with visible scars and deformations, speech disabilities and muscular impairments. These factors can lead to anxiety in situations such as social eating, and even to isolation from others. Dental care and prosthodontic rehabilitation can help survivors overcome these functional, esthetic, and social limitations. The aim of this scoping review is to map the body of literature exploring the role of prosthodontic rehabilitation in the return to work of HNC survivors. In turn, this will answer questions such as: 鈥淒oes prosthodontic rehabilitation positively impact reemployment of HNC survivors? How does this rehabilitation affect return to work by allowing survivors to overcome certain limitations? Which prosthodontic rehabilitation methods influence this major step in recovery?鈥� This review will examine published studies in which the place of prosthodontic rehabilitation in the return to work of HNC survivors was explored. No restriction will be applied regarding study design. A thorough search strategy will be used to search most medical and health sciences research databases. Two independent reviewers will screen the title and abstract of studies obtained from the search strategy to identify eligible publications. These select studies will then be either included or excluded following a full text review. Each reviewer will proceed independently with the data extraction of selected studies. Certain rehabilitation methods have been examined in current literature; however, the role of prosthodontic rehabilitation in the process of recovery is rarely investigated. Results are expected to highlight how prosthodontic rehabilitation can help HNC survivors return to work by overcoming challenges such as social eating and dental loss. Current literature will be interpreted to identify any gaps in knowledge. An in-depth understanding of the challenges related to the return to work of HNC survivors would allow an increased rate of reemployment in this population. This, in turn, would lead to a better quality of life for these individuals.