Supportive Management of Mucositis and Metabolic Derangements in Head and Neck Cancer Patients

Overview

Journal Cancers (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Oncology

Date 2015 Sep 26

PMID 26404378

Citations 6

Authors

Marcelo Bonomi

Katharine Batt

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Oral mucositis (OM) is among the most undesirable, painful, and expensive toxicities of cytotoxic cancer therapy, and is disheartening for patients and frustrating for caregivers. Accurate assessment of the incidence of OM has been elusive, but accumulating data suggests that reported OM frequency is significantly less than its actual occurrence. It has been suggested that over 90% of head and neck cancer (HNC) patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) with concurrent cisplatin experience severe OM with symptoms of extreme pain, mucosal ulceration and consequent limitations in swallowing and achieving adequate nutritional intake. This panoply of symptoms inevitably impacts a patients' quality of life and their willingness to continue treatment. In spite of all the advances made in understanding the pathophysiology of OM, there is still no prophylactic therapy with proven efficacy. Strategies to limit the extent of OM and to manage its symptomatology include basic oral care, supportive medications, nutritional support and targeting aggressive treatments to high-risk patients. This review focuses on OM recognition, preventive measurements, and symptom-management strategies.

Citing Articles

Attempts to Understand Oral Mucositis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients through Omics Studies: A Narrative Review.

San Valentin E, Do K, Yeung S, Reyes-Gibby C Int J Mol Sci. 2023; 24(23).

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Evaluation of the efficacy of the anti-ulcer oral mucosal protective agent RADoralex® in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced oral mucosal reactions induced during treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Yin J, Xie J, Lin J, Weng C, Lu S, Xu P Cancer Biol Ther. 2022; 23(1):27-33.

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Effect of Low-Level Laser Therapy in Treatment of Chemotherapy Induced Oral Mucositis.

Rezk-Allah S, Abd Elshaf H, Farid R, Hassan M, Alsirafy S J Lasers Med Sci. 2019; 10(2):125-130.

PMID: 31360381 PMC: 6499574. DOI: 10.15171/jlms.2019.20.

The inflammation-reducing compatible solute ectoine does not impair the cytotoxic effect of ionizing radiation on head and neck cancer cells.

Rieckmann T, Gatzemeier F, Christiansen S, Rothkamm K, Munscher A Sci Rep. 2019; 9(1):6594.

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Therapeutic Benefit of Placentrex in the Management of Acute Chemo Radiation Induced Mucositis in Oral Cancer Patients.

Srinivas Kondaveeti S, C V D, John C, M M, S R Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2018; 19(11):3099-3103.

PMID: 30486548 PMC: 6318380. DOI: 10.31557/APJCP.2018.19.11.3099.

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