Abstract:
Oral candidiasis is one of the commonest opportunistic infection of the oral cavity among immune-compromised individuals which is caused by colonization of Candida species. Patients with cancer are prime candidates for Candida infections due to impaired immunity. The incidence varies upon certain predisposing factors as these may impair the host immunity and facilitate the growth of opportunistic fungal pathogens. Comorbid factors, use of certain therapeutics, habits like alcohol consumption and smoking, oral hygienic and oral health may have an impact on Candida over growth in the oral cavity. Hence, in this study, these variables were evaluated to determine whether they represent risk factors for development of oral candidiasis in patients with cancer. Oral rinse samples and swab samples together with demographic and clinical data were taken from 170 adult patients with cancer attending oncology clinic and admitted to oncology ward of Teaching Hospital Karapitiya. The obtained oral samples were cultured in Candida Chrome agar and the presence of Candida in each sample was recorded. Chi-square test at significance level of 0.05 was used to evaluate the association between demographic/clinical data and oral candidiasis among the study population. Age and wearing dentures were significantly associated with colonization of Candida in oral cavity (p<0.05) Astonishingly, there were no statistically significant association in comorbid factors like diabetes, anaemia and asthma, inhalation and oral treatment of corticosteroid, frequency of tooth-brushing, habits such as alcohol consumption, smoking and betel chewing and the presence of dental caries with oral candidiasis (p>0.05). Therefore, based on the findings it can be concluded that age and wearing dentures are risk factors of oral candidiasis.
