251 Impact Paragraph 9 Impact The scientific knowledge in the development, diagnosis and treatment of oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma has expanded significantly over the last 15 years. New insights into the importance and role of the immune system in carcinogenesis, the response of the immune system to cancer, and aspects of the growth and recurrence behavior of malignant tumors of the oral cavity have led to new therapeutic approaches on a molecular basis. In the near future, imaging will also keep up with biological elements in tumor visualization. Our knowledge is growing, but still surgical resection of the tumor and appropriate reconstructive measures remain the first choice of treatment. The patient population with HNC is changing. First, the patient population developing HNC is changing, with traditional risk factors such as tobacco and alcohol use taking a back seat and a greater proportion of HNC being caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), especially in young people. At the same time, overall life expectancy is increasing, so there is also a group of patients who do not develop HNC until they are older, which in turn again is related to HPV infections. Second, care in the field of HNC is changing. Known reconstruction methods and radiation techniques are evolving and being refined. In dentistry, prophylaxis efforts at all levels have greatly improved oral health over the past 50 years. As a result, a growing number of patients still have most of their own teeth when diagnosed with HNC. Patients who have recovered from HNC regularly cite teeth and dental health as a major concern when asked about the side effects of treatment. These side effects greatly impact quality of life, which has become an essential part of the treatment goal for HNC treatment. In order to adequately inform the patient of all options prior to treatment, it is important to critically review existing treatment options in addition to developing new treatments. In this work, we addressed the following two fundamental questions: a) we evaluated masticatory function and oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) after prosthodontic rehabilitation of edentulous patients with HNC, and b) we evaluated the accuracy and potential consequences of tooth removal prior to radiation therapy (RT). Our results showed that implant-retained prostheses in both jaws improve masticatory function and significantly increase patient satisfaction over a long period of time. In particular, we studied a group of edentulous patients with maxillary defects who had been rehabilitated with obturator prostheses. In half of
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