Abstract
ABSTRACTThis review aimed to analyze the scientific production on severity of oral mucositis as an adverse effect of chemotherapy. To this end, we performed a search at PubMed databases combining the keywords “oral mucositis” and “chemotherapy protocol”. To describe the investigation, the following variables were considered: journal, year/place, study design, sample, protocol used and incidence of oral mucositis. A total of 547 articles were retrieved, of which 26 were selected. Out of these 26, only 2 reported severity of oral mucositis; the others only reported the presence of the condition. Protocols for treating different types of carcinoma were evaluated in 16 (61.53%) studies, for hematological malignancies in 6 (23.07%), and for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in 4 (15.4%). Protocols for hematopoietic stem cell transplantation entail a high risk for oral mucositis, just as chemotherapy with cytarabine and high-dose 5-fluorouracil, alkylating agents and platinumbased compounds. To provide the best prevention and treatment for oral mucositis, it is essential to know the chemotherapy protocols used and their effects on the oral cavity.
Highlights
The primary objective of oncological treatments, such as chemotherapy, is to destroy cancer cells
Oral mucositis (OM) is an important adverse effect seen in cancer patients on chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for the head and neck.[2,6,7] This condition presents clinically as erosive and/or ulcerative lesions that can cause mild to severe pain.[1,2,8] These lesions usually lead to a significant decrease in quality of life, since they can prolong hospital stay, affect the nutritional status of the patient, increase the risk of infections, and increase the prescription of opioids.[9,10,11]
Many articles described the effects of chemotherapy protocols for treatment of different types of carcinoma, protocols based on the use of 5-FU and platinum derivatives.[13,14,15,16,17,18,20,21,22,28,30,34] In these articles, the incidence of OM varied a great deal, but we identified that patients who received cisplatin had more severe OM.[15,16,17]
Summary
The primary objective of oncological treatments, such as chemotherapy, is to destroy cancer cells. Oral mucositis (OM) is an important adverse effect seen in cancer patients on chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy for the head and neck.[2,6,7] This condition presents clinically as erosive and/or ulcerative lesions that can cause mild to severe pain.[1,2,8] These lesions usually lead to a significant decrease in quality of life, since they can prolong hospital stay, affect the nutritional status of the patient, increase the risk of infections, and increase the prescription of opioids.[9,10,11] For these reasons, treatment of OM is extremely necessary, with the aim of relieving symptoms, accelerating tissue repair and controlling infections of oral origin. The known association between toxicity and the chemotherapy protocol used may guide selection of the right prevention methods to control OM in highrisk populations
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