PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS AND THE ROLE OF THE MULTIDISCIPLINARY TEAM IN THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF ORAL CANCER

Oral cancer is one of the most common malignancies in the world, Squamous Cell Carcinoma being the most common form at lips' level. The treatment of oral cancer still remains a challenge for both doctors and patients. The quality of a person's life is also influenced by oral health through the role that the oral cavity has in speech, nutrition, facial aesthetics and social acceptance. This paper aims to highlight the need for the involvement of a multidisciplinary team in the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer, with the achievement of a complex assessment, including in terms of anxiety, social stressors, personality traits, coping resources or the diagnosis of even some possible mental disorders. Thus, the psychiatric evaluation of patients with oral cancer aims to coordinate and involve a psychiatric therapy in the complex oncological and surgical treatment of these patients.