O avanço verificado no enfrentamento de neoplasias malignas por meio dos sistemas de saúde envolve melhorias nas áreas de vigilância, organização de redes de assistência, programas específicos voltados às prevenções primária e secundária e, obviamente, aos avanços técnico-científicos que caracterizam a abordagem diagnóstica e terapêutica. Embora seja notável o reconhecimento de avanços no manejo de neoplasias malignas em todas as áreas citadas, o câncer da boca permanece com indicadores de morbidade e mortalidade que parecem não acompanhar o acúmulo científico no conhecimento da doença. O presente manuscrito objetiva discutir os motivos desse descompasso, a necessidade de reorientação de prioridades na abordagem do câncer da boca e sua efetivação como política pública de saúde.

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We report on long-term survival in 157 patients with Fanconi anemia (FA) who survived 2 years or longer after their first transplantation with a median follow-up of 9 years. Marrow failure (80%) was the most common indication for transplantation. There were 20 deaths beyond 2 years after transplantation, with 12 of the deaths occurring beyond 5 years after transplantation. Donor chimerism was available for 149 patients: 112 (76%) reported > 95% chimerism, 27 (18%) reported 90% to 95% chimerism, and 8 (5%) reported 20% to 89% donor chimerism. Two patients have < 20% donor chimerism. The 10- and 15-year probabilities of survival were 90% and 79%, respectively. Results of multivariate analysis showed higher mortality risks for transplantations before 2003 (hazard ratio [HR], 7.87; P = .001), chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) (HR, 3.80; P = .004) and squamous cell carcinoma after transplantation (HR, 38.17; P < .0001). The predominant cause of late mortality was squamous cell carcinoma, with an incidence of 8% and 14% at 10 and 15 years after transplantation, respectively, and was more likely to occur in those with chronic GVHD. Other causes of late mortality included chronic GVHD, infection, graft failure, other cancers, and hemorrhage. Although most patients are disease free and functional long term, our data support aggressive surveillance for long periods to identify those at risk for late mortality.

We examined the feasibility of distance diagnosis of oral diseases, using transmission of digital images by email. Twenty-five cases of oral lesions were documented during a 12-month study in a primary care public health clinic in Paraná in Southern Brazil. Clinical electronic charts and images were produced and sent by email to two oral medicine specialists with a median of 10 years experience in the field. The consultants provided a maximum of two clinical hypotheses for each case. In 15 of the 25 cases (60%) both consultants made a correct diagnosis; in seven cases (28%) only one consultant made a correct diagnosis; and in three cases (12%) neither consultant made a correct diagnosis. Thus in 88% of cases, at least one consultant was able to provide the correct diagnosis. The results suggest that distant diagnosis can be an effective alternative in the diagnosis of oral lesions and that the using two distant consultants improves diagnostic accuracy. Primary care public health clinics may benefit from the use of email and digital cameras for telehealth in remote areas where oral medicine specialists are not available.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the applicability of telediagnosis in oral medicine, through the transmission of clinical digital images by e-mail. Subjects and Methods: The sample included 60 consecutive patients who sought oral medicine services at the Federal University of Parana´, in the state of Parana´, located in southern Brazil. The clinical history and oral lesion images were recorded using clinical electronic charts and a digital camera, respectively, and sent by e-mail to two oral medicine consultants. The consultants provided a maximum of two clinical hypotheses for each case, which were compared with biopsy results that served as the gold standard. Results: In 31 of the 60 cases (51.7%), both consultants made the correct diagnosis; in 17 cases (28.3%), only one consultant made the correct diagnosis; and in 12 cases (20%), neither consultant made the correct diagnosis. Therefore, in 80% of cases, at least one consultant provided the correct diagnosis. The agreement between the first consultant and the gold standard was substantial (j = 0.669), and the agreement between the second consultant and the gold standard was fair (j = 0.574). Conclusions: The use of information technology can increase the accuracy of consultations in oral medicine. As expected, the participation of two remote experts increased the possibility of correct diagnosis.