Healthcare Professionals
What is oral mucositis?
Oral mucositis is characterised by painful inflammation and ulceration of the mucosal membranes. The consequences of oral mucositis include pain, difficulty swallowing and infection. These can negatively impact a patients quality of life. Additionally, duration of hospital stays may be increased and doses of subsequent cancer therapies may be reduced.1
What causes oral mucositis?
Oral mucositis is commonly found in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The estimated frequency of oral mucositis with varying treatments is shown here:2,3
| Treatment approach | Estimated frequency of oral mucositis (%) |
Anthracycline-containing regimen |
Up to 10% |
5FU-containing regimens |
Up to 41% |
Head and neck radiation |
Approaching 100% |
Bone marrow transplant and high-dose chemotherapy |
89% |
Numerous factors contribute to the risk of oral mucositis including: 2,4,5
- Previous anticancer treatment5
- Site of radiation therapy (head and neck)5
- Ethnicity (Caucasians are at a higher risk than African-Americans)4
- Age (children and the elderly are at higher risk)5
- Intensity of anticancer treatment5
- History of oral mucositis2
What is the impact of oral mucositis on patients' lives?
Oral mucositis is the most troubling side effect according to 38% of patients receiving radiation for head and neck cancer and 42% of patients on high-dose chemotherapy.6 Severe oral mucositis can complicate the management of cancer, often leading to interruption of cancer treatment, which can compromise cure rates.7 Effective management of oral complications can enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapy as well as have a positive impact on the patients' quality of life.8
References
Note: All the references are available on request from EUSA Pharma
1. Sonis S et al. J Clin Oncol 2001;19:2201–2205
2. Sonis S et al. Cancer 2004;100(Suppl 9):1995–2025
3. McGuire DB et al. Oncol Nurs Forum 1993;20:1493–1502
4. Anthony L et al. Support Care Cancer 2006;14:516–518
5. Avritscher EB et al. Semin Oncol Nurs 2004;20:3–10
6. Stokman MA et al. J Dent Res 2006;85:690–700
7. Redding SW. J Dent Educ 2005;69:919–929
8. Kostler WJ et al. CA Cancer J Clin 2001;51:290–315
