Clinical Profile and Management of Oral Cancer Patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Bangladesh

Introduction: Oral cavity cancer is the 11th most common cancer worldwide, and the incidence rate of lip & oral cavity cancer in Bangladesh in 2020 was 8.9%. The National Institute of Cancer Research and Hospital (NICRH) is a specialized hospital for cancer patient care where all treatment modalities are available. This study was conducted in the faciomaxillary surgical oncology department (FMSO) to see the patient profile and management of oral cancer patients at NIRCH. Materials and methods: This observational study was carried out from January 2017 to December 2020 with hitopathologically proven oral cancer patients. Data of outdoor patients were collected from the OPD and tumor board registers, and indoor patient’s data were collected from the discharge register. Relevant variables were included in the data collection, such as epidemiological features (age, sex) and clinicopathological data (primary site of tumor, disease pattern, TNM staging, presentation status, management of patients by tumor board decision, and surgical management). Collected data were summarized and analyzed by statistical package for the social science SPSS (version 24.0) and results were presented in table, chart, and graph form. Results: A total of 6869 patients were enrolled in the study, where 55% were female and 45% were male, with a male to female ratio of 0.82:1. Buccal mucosa was the most common site (44%) followed by lower gingivo-buccal sulcus (21%). Eighty-eight percent of the total cases were squamous cell carcinoma. Early-stage lesions were only 6% whereas advanced-stage lesions were 94%. Among preoperative patients, 1992 (29%) were operable and 4877 (71%) were inoperable. The tumor board decided nearly 50% of patients for chemo-radiation, 10% for surgery and radiotherapy each. Among the operable patients, only 244 (20%) were operated on in our department in a four-year period. Conclusion: It is evident from this study that most of the patients present in the advanced stage illustrate the necessity for the inclusion of oral health care in primary health care by the government for early detection of oral cancer in Bangladesh

Experience of Bangladeshi Dental Students towards Online Learning during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Web-Based Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: During the COVID-19 pandemic, dental education institutions throughout the world experienced significant challenges, including a quick shift to an online learning paradigm. Since the pandemic has had a considerable impact on dental education, this research evaluated the perspectives and attitudes towards online learning among undergraduate dental students in Bangladesh. METHODS: The research was conducted through a cross-sectional method using self-administered online questionnaires. The questionnaire included information on the students' sociodemographic status, their views, and their attitudes about the changes in the educational system, specifically regarding online learning. The study gathered data from 952 undergraduate students from 14 dental institutions in Bangladesh. RESULTS: The results suggested that 87.5% of all the students were unsatisfied with their online programs. Most of the respondents who expressed dissatisfaction with their online classes were female, did not receive assistance in overcoming barriers to accessing the classes or materials (64.23%), did not have access to the institutional online-learning management system (OLMS) (67.35%), and did not have access to the online course materials (71.43%). The students considered that the shift to online learning failed to provide quality clinical teaching. CONCLUSIONS: The lack of an OLMS was found to be linked with dissatisfaction with online learning among Bangladeshi dental students during the COVID-19 outbreak. Additionally, insufficient time allocation and a lack of support through online training were found to be strongly correlated with the students' discontent. The overall findings highlight the need to develop and implement effective online dentistry educational interventions to promote academic advancement and key practical skills

Psychological Distress among Bangladeshi Dental Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: Psychological sufferings are observed among dental students during their academic years, which had been intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study assessed the levels and identified factors associated with psychological distress, fear and coping experienced by dental undergraduate students in Bangladesh. Methods: A cross sectional online survey was conducted during October-November, 2021. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K-10), Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) were used in order to assess psychological distress, fear and coping strategies, respectively. Results: A total of 327 students participated; the majority (72%) were 19–23 years old and females (75%). One in five participants were infected with COVID-19 and 15% reported contact with COVID-19 cases. Negative financial impact (AOR 3.72, 95% CIs 1.28–10.8), recent or past COVID-19 infection, and contact with COVID-19 cases were associated with higher levels of psychological distress; but being a third year student (0.14, 0.04–0.55) and being satisfied about current social life (0.11, 0.03–0.33) were associated with lower levels of psychological distress. Being a third year (0.17, 0.08–0.39) and a fourth year student (0.29, 0.12–0.71) were associated with lower levels of fear. Health care service use and feeling positive about life were associated with medium to high resilience coping. Conclusions: This study identified dental students in Bangladesh who were at higher risk of psychological distress, fear and coping during the ongoing pandemic. Development of a mental health support system within dental institutions should be considered in addition to the academic and clinical teaching