1 Faculty of Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
2 Faculty of Art and Science, Concordia University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
3 Ingram School of Nursing, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
4 Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

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.

Methods: We used a scoping review methodology informed by established frameworks: Arksey and O'Malley, Levac et al. and the Joanna Briggs Institute. Articles were retrieved from five electronic databases (MEDLINE/PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and PsychInfo) using a predefined search strategy. Screening and study selection were performed independently by two reviewers using Rayyan software (QCRI), with a third reviewer resolving disagreements. Reporting followed the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. Inclusion criteria included articles focused on the impact of oral complications on the quality of life and well-being of child cancer survivors (aged 0-17 years at the time of diagnosis), written in English or French, and published from 2012-2025. Exclusion criteria included articles involving non-childhood cancers, and with non-specific disease categories. The protocol for this review was published in PLOS ONE (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0290364).

Results: 79 articles were included in this scoping review. The majority of studies had quantitative designs. In contrast to the original review, a substantial number of studies (47) reported children-reported symptoms and completed assessment tools rather than relying solely on their parents and health care providers to provide this information. Furthermore, since the original review, reporting of oral health-related quality of life (OHRQoL) measures has increased, however they were reported in a limited number of studies.

Conclusion: Our review suggests that there is growing implementation of patient-reported outcomes and subjective measures of OHRQoL in assessing oral complications in pediatric cancer patients. Future studies should incorporate qualitative approaches to capture children's or parents' perspectives on cancer therapy, thereby complementing quantitative findings and providing a more comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted impact of oral complications on children's quality of life.