Patients undergoing treatment for cancer often develop oral complications. These complications have an influence on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Patient reports on HRQOL have been found to follow the same pattern as reports of experiencing oral discomfort. HRQOL should be incorporated as an outcome variable into the evaluation of the role of oral hygiene and oral care for patients with cancer, and oral status should also be incorporated as a variable when evaluating care for patients with cancer.