Help for radiation-induced xerostomia
When her father was diagnosed with stage 4 oral cancer and underwent radiation and chemotherapy treatments, Kayla Marks watched him suffer with the side effect of severe xerostomia. This led to her own interest in the area and what relief is available for these patients.
Her father was able to be part of a two-year pilot study conducted by his medical team that was designed to find relief for the xerostomia. In our podcast, Kayla explains what they learned from the study that included 12 patients. She shares a brief summary of how the the study was conducted and the results for the patients.
Her father responded “incredibly well” to the treatment. The pilot study was so successful it's moved into a Phase 1 clinical trial.
Hear what else she and Jackie Sanders discuss in the latest RDH magazine podcast.
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About the podcast
RDH Magazine Podcast is the community of voices you love from RDH magazine, brought to your podcast feed every week. You can expect to gain education and have the RDH magazine community in your ears to complement the content you enjoy online and in print each month.
About the Author
Kayla Marks, BA, RDH, CDA
Kayla Marks, BA, RDH, CDA, is a licensed dental hygienist and certified dental assistant with 25-plus years of experience as an oral health-care provider in both general dentistry and periodontics. She’s a full-time faculty member of the dental hygiene and dental assisting programs at Blackhawk Technical College in Janesville, Wisconsin. She most recently completed her career and technical education leadership certificate from the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
Jackie Sanders, MBA, RDH
Chief Editor, RDH magazine
Jackie Sanders, MBA, RDH, is a respected dental industry leader with more than 40 years of experience in dental hygiene, marketing, and professional relations. As chief editor of RDH, she is dedicated to advancing the dental profession through education, innovation, and collaboration. Prior to this role, she served as manager of professional relations and communications for Sunstar/GUM, building strong connections with industry associations, educational institutions, and dental professionals nationwide. Jackie has also contributed her expertise through committee service with organizations including the American Dental Education Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.