Study on Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation in Pediatric Cancer Patients
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] A study has found that the younger children start chemotherapy, the more adverse effects it has on their dental health. This implies the need for pediatric cancer patients to receive regular dental check-ups for oral care before and after chemotherapy.
Professor Kim Yoon-ji, Department of Orthodontics, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital (left), and Professor Jung Nak-gyun, Department of Pediatrics. [Photo by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]
Professor Kim Yoon-ji from the Department of Orthodontics and Professor Jung Nak-gyun from the Department of Pediatrics at the Catholic University Seoul St. Mary's Hospital announced on the 21st that they confirmed this by studying the correlation between age and tooth development in pediatric cancer patients who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
The research team selected 153 patients aged 10 or younger who visited the Department of Pediatrics at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital between 2009 and 2019 and underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and who had panoramic dental X-rays taken after transplantation. They divided the patients into four groups by age and investigated tooth agenesis, microdontia, and root formation abnormalities for each group.
The study results showed that patients who received chemotherapy at a younger age, when tooth development occurs, exhibited more extensive abnormalities in tooth development, while those who received chemotherapy later had fewer cases of tooth development failure, microdontia, and root formation abnormalities. This proved that patients who underwent chemotherapy during the age when teeth are formed experience tooth development abnormalities.
Dental X-ray image of a pediatric patient who underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The X marks indicate permanent tooth agenesis due to tooth formation failure, the arrows indicate microdontia, and the caret (^) at the root of the tooth indicates abnormal root formation. [Photo by Seoul St. Mary's Hospital]
Professor Jung Nak-gyun explained the significance of the study, saying, "This research, which analyzed long-term accumulated data, demonstrated the correlation between tooth development abnormalities and chemotherapy, suggesting that efforts to minimize the impact on tooth development are necessary before and after transplantation when hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is performed at a young age."
Professor Kim Yoon-ji said, "Seoul St. Mary's Hospital has a large number of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation cases internationally, so we have extensive clinical experience with dental patients who have undergone chemotherapy. This study started from noticing unique aspects among these patients," adding, "Healthy teeth are important for pediatric cancer patients who need to grow because comfortable teeth allow them to eat well and absorb nutrients evenly. Regular dental check-ups before and after chemotherapy are essential to improve quality of life after treatment."
The results of this study were published in the recent issue of the international journal PLOS ONE.
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