Prof. Jackowski: New Chairman for Oral Medicine and Patient Welfare!

Prof. Jackowski: New Chairman for Oral Medicine and Patient Welfare!

Prof. Dr. Joachim Jackowski was recently elected first chairman of the oral pathology and oral medicine working group. The election took place during the AGOKi and AKOPOM symposium under the patronage of the German Society for Dentistry, Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine. Jackowski, who holds the chair for dental surgery and outpatient clinic at the University of Witten/Herdecke (UW/H), brings extensive experience to the new role.

Prior to his election, Jackowski served on the advisory board and played a critical role in creating AWMF dental and medical guidelines. Oral medicine itself is particularly concerned with the detection and treatment of changes in the oral cavity that often occur in patients with serious underlying diseases.

Challenges of oral medicine

The relevant diseases include primary diseases of the oral mucosa as well as complaints that can be caused by medical treatments, for example chemotherapy or dialysis. Changes in the oral cavity are often the first indicators of systemic diseases, including mucous membrane ulcers in Crohn's disease or dry mouth in Sjögren's syndrome. Jackowski emphasizes the urgency of detecting potentially malignant changes in the oral cavity at an early stage.

In Germany there are around 10,000 new cases of oral cavity cancer every year, which are among the most common malignant tumor diseases. Jackowski therefore calls for increased attention to oral medicine and oral pathology in research, teaching and practice. At the UW/H, these topics are already an integral part of the course, which strengthens the foundation for future specialists in this area.

Interdisciplinary exchange

Jackowski also sees his new position as an opportunity to make the working group better known among students and to promote interdisciplinary exchange. This perspective is particularly relevant because the treatment of oral cancer requires interdisciplinary collaboration to improve the prognosis and quality of life of patients.

In this context, the AWMF recently published an update of its guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer. This version 3.0 aims to optimize the patient perspective through advances in diagnostics and therapy. New methods such as imaging and molecular diagnostics as well as reconstructive procedures play a crucial role. The guideline also mentions the interdisciplinary approach as elementary for improving the prognosis and post-therapeutic quality of life.

The update was published on March 26, 2021 and is valid until March 1, 2026. It primarily addresses patients with oral cancer and calls for the guidelines to be implemented across the board in the population. These developments are considered necessary to improve decision-making processes in the treatment of oral cancer.

The diverse challenges and importance of oral medicine make it clear that a strong leadership style and interdisciplinary approaches under the leadership of Prof. Jackowski are essential to positively shape future developments in this field.

For more information about the challenges of oral cavity medicine, read the detailed Guideline for the treatment of oral cavity cancer and the AWMF-current.

In summary, it can be said that the election of Prof. Jackowski initiates a groundbreaking development in oral medicine, which is intended to strengthen both the theory and the practical implementation in dentistry, oral and maxillofacial medicine. We would be happy to continue to provide information about progress in this area. Current news can be found on the University of Witten/Herdecke.