Associations between oral health-related and overall quality of life in patients receiving oncological palliative care: a single-center cross-sectional study in Southern Chile.

PURPOSE: Oral conditions are highly prevalent among patients receiving oncological palliative care and may be associated with poorer quality of life. However, evidence on the relationship between oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) and overall health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in this population remains limited, particularly in Latin America. This study aimed to describe oral conditions and assess the association between OHRQoL and HRQoL in patients receiving oncological palliative care.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in a palliative care unit in southern Chile. Adult cancer patients were consecutively recruited. Quality of life was assessed using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-OH15, and xerostomia using the Xerostomia Inventory. Associations were analyzed using Spearman correlation, Mann-Whitney U tests, and multivariable linear regression adjusted for age, sex, number of medications, opioid use, and metastatic disease.

RESULTS

Eighty-two patients were included (median age: 65 years; 65% women). Oral conditions were highly prevalent, including mucosal lesions (64%), denture use (62%), and xerostomia (73%). OHRQoL was positively correlated with multiple HRQoL domains. Patients with xerostomia had significantly lower functional scores and OHRQoL. In adjusted analyses, greater xerostomia severity was associated with poorer cognitive functioning (β =  - 0.69; 95% CI: - 1.36 to - 0.01), social functioning (β =  - 0.88; 95% CI: - 1.71 to - 0.05), and oral quality of life (β =  - 0.87; 95% CI: - 1.29 to - 0.45).

CONCLUSION

In this single-center exploratory study, OHRQoL was associated with overall health-related quality of life among patients receiving oncological palliative care. Greater xerostomia severity was independently associated with poorer cognitive functioning, social functioning, and oral quality of life. These findings support the importance of routine oral health assessment and xerostomia management in palliative care and warrant confirmation in larger multicenter studies.