Dental therapy before and after radiotherapy–an evaluation on patients with head and neck malignancies

The present investigation evaluates the dental care situation of patients with head and neck cancer before and after radiotherapy. The situations of these patients in 1993 and 2005 were compared to detect similarities, differences and developments. In the years 1993 and 2005, 37 and 36 patients, respectively, with head and neck cancer treated by the local departments of otorhinolaryngology and of radiotherapy were examined consecutively according to their aftercare appointments. Time points of radiotherapy treatment of the patients evaluated in 1993 varied from 1984 to 1993. The patients evaluated in 2005 had received radiotherapy between 1998 and 2005. Therefore the applied radiotherapeutic regimen differed not only between the two groups of patients, but also within each group. The information for these investigations was provided anonymously. It was evaluated with descriptive statistics. The evaluation of the data shows distinct differences with respect to preventive and therapeutic dental care measures. In 2005, 35 out of 36 patients (97.2%) had a dental consultation before radiotherapy (1993, 65%). All 27 dentate patients (100%) obtained a splint for fluoride application (1993, none). 29% fewer edentulous patients were seen than in 1993. The number of teeth destroyed decreased from 19.2% (1993) to 7.8% in 2005. Mycoses due to Candida spp. and chronic failures in wound healing were rare (5.5%). In the course of the 12 years, prophylactic measures, such as the application of splints for fluoride treatment, were intensified. However, concepts for the dental care of patients undergoing radiotherapy, especially following the radiation, should be widened to avoid ruined teeth and long delayed wound healings

The Evolution of Compact Binary Star Systems

We review the formation and evolution of compact binary stars consisting of white dwarfs (WDs), neutron stars (NSs), and black holes (BHs). Binary NSs and BHs are thought to be the primary astrophysical sources of gravitational waves (GWs) within the frequency band of ground-based detectors, while compact binaries of WDs are important sources of GWs at lower frequencies to be covered by space interferometers (LISA). Major uncertainties in the current understanding of properties of NSs and BHs most relevant to the GW studies are discussed, including the treatment of the natal kicks which compact stellar remnants acquire during the core collapse of massive stars and the common envelope phase of binary evolution. We discuss the coalescence rates of binary NSs and BHs and prospects for their detections, the formation and evolution of binary WDs and their observational manifestations. Special attention is given to AM CVn-stars -- compact binaries in which the Roche lobe is filled by another WD or a low-mass partially degenerate helium-star, as these stars are thought to be the best LISA verification binary GW sources.Comment: 105 pages, 18 figure

A review of dental treatment of head and neck cancer patients, before, during and after radiotherapy: part 2.

The incidence of head and neck cancer is on the rise. Radiation therapy is one of the major treatment modalities for the management of oral malignancies. As with any treatment modality, radiation therapy is associated with various complications. The second part of this series is a review of the oral changes that occur during and after radiotherapy and the oral management of head and neck oncology patients before, during and after radiotherapy. Dental practitioners will encounter patients who have been affected by cancer or who are current cancer patents. General dental practitioners (GDPs) have a vital and proactive role in supporting such patients. The aim of this article is to review the oral management of these patients during and after radiotherapy, and gives practical advice for GDPs and their teams in the long-term care of these patients