Patients
About oral mucositis
What is oral mucositis?
- The symptoms of oral mucositis can include swelling and soreness inside the mouth
- This can lead to pain, difficulty swallowing and the possibility of infection
- Oral mucositis may, in more severe cases, lead to longer stays in hospital1 and interuptions to cancer therapy2
What causes oral mucositis?
- Oral mucositis can occur in cancer patients who are receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy
- The frequency varies according to the type of anticancer treatment received2
- Factors that increase the risk of developing oral mucositis include:
- Having received anticancer treatment previously3
- Having radiation therapy for head and neck cancer3
- Ethnicity (Caucasians are at a higher risk than African-Americans)4
- Age (children and the elderly are at higher risk)3
- Receiving a higher intensity anticancer treatment3
- Having a history of oral mucositis2
How may oral mucositis affect my cancer treatment?
- Severe oral mucositis can complicate the management of cancer, potentially leading to interruption of cancer treatment5
References
Note: All the references are available on request to 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. Avritscher EB et al. Semin Oncol Nurs 2004;20:3–10
4. Anthony L et al. Support Care Cancer 2006;14:516–518
5. Redding SW. J Dent Educ 2005;69:919–929
