The impact of cancer therapy-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of childhood cancer survivors: A scoping review
Nona Attaran Kakhki, Apoorva Sharma, Tara Balador, Franco A. Carnevale, Beatriz Ferraz Dos Santos, Mary Ellen Macdonald
Abstract
Objective
This study aimed to review the scientific literature on the effects of cancer treatment-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of children surviving cancer. This study updates a previous review, from 2012, evaluating the oral health related quality of life and well-being of childhood cancer survivors and exploring the extent to which children’s perspectives are considered in research.
Introduction
According to the World Health Organization, in 2020 nearly 280 000 children and young adults around the world were diagnosed with cancer, of which approximately 110 000 died [1]. In Canada, an estimated 4,975 children were newly diagnosed with cancer between 2018 and 2023 [2]. Despite persistent and substantial disparities across cancer types and resource settings, advances in treatment modalities, such as chemotherapeutic agents, have contributed to a general worldwide decline in pediatric cancer mortality rates [3].
Materials and method
Protocol and registration
A protocol of this scoping review has been published (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290364) [24].
Study design
The scoping review followed the Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewer’s Manual to assure transparency, accuracy, and completeness [25] and the Arksey and O’Malley’s methodological framework of six stages for conducting a scoping review, with Levac et al’s additions to the framework [26,27].
Results
Our final sample was comprised of 79 articles (Fig 1). The Inter-rater reliability between two reviewers, using Cohen’s kappa coefficient was 0.79, which indicates substantial agreement between reviewers.
Discussion
This scoping review provides an updated synthesis of literature examining the impact of cancer treatment-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of childhood cancer survivors. In relation to the previous review by Noronha and Macdonald [13], our findings highlight notable changes in research approaches, particularly in the increased inclusion of patient-reported outcomes and the use of validated QoL and OHRQoL measurement tools.
Conclusion
In the last 13 years since the original review, the literature on the impact of cancer therapy-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of pediatric cancer survivors has evolved. A key development is the increased use of QoL and OHRQoL measures. Additionally, there has been a shift towards including children-reported symptoms rather than relying solely on parental or healthcare provider assessments.
Acknowledgments
Citation: Attaran Kakhki N, Sharma A, Balador T, Carnevale FA, Ferraz Dos Santos B, Macdonald ME (2026) The impact of cancer therapy-related oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of childhood cancer survivors: A scoping review. PLoS One 21(6): e0352194. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0352194
Editor: Giang Truong Vu, University of Central Florida, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Received: May 26, 2025; Accepted: June 5, 2026; Published: June 23, 2026
Copyright: © 2026 Attaran Kakhki et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.
Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.
Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.
