Oral health-related quality of life in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma and oral epithelial dysplasia – A cross-sectional study in Sri Lanka

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and its precursor, oral epithelial dysplasia (OED) comprises significant disease burdens in southeast Asia. In Sri Lanka, OSCC is the commonest cancer in males. Oral health-related quality of life (OHQoL) assesses the impact of oral health on the overall well-being of an individual. This study aimed to investigate OHQoL using Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), to identify the most affected domains in the study groups and potential associations with sociodemographic variables. A cross-sectional study with 129 participants including OSCC, OED and control groups was conducted using a translated version of OHIP-14. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS and Graph Pad Prism software. The total OHIP-14 scores were compared between study groups. Descriptive statistics on OHQoL domains and correlation with monthly income and OHIP-14 score were conducted. The mean OHIP-14 scores were 25 ± 13, 14 ± 8.1, and 2.4 ± 3.3 for the OSCC, OED, and control groups respectively with a statistically significant difference (p value <0.0001). Domains with highest mean scores indicating a poorer OHQoL in OSCC and OED groups were physical pain and psychological disability. Worse OHQoL correlated with low monthly income in patients. This study identified most affected domains in the OHQoL in study groups and revealed a correlation between income and OHQoL in patients. The findings have important implications for clinicians to take OHQoL into consideration during treatment design and inform policy changes to improve outcomes for OSCC and OED patients.