Growth Factors and Effects of Palifermin in Management of Cancer Therapy Induced Oral Mucositis

Abstract

Amongst the various hazards of chemotherapeutic drugs and radiation in cancer patients, oral mucositis is the most commonly encountered and troublesome complication so far. It can be a cause for discontinuation of therapy and may add to the cost of treatment. In this article, pathogenesis of oral mucositis and role of recombinant human growth factors in management of it have been discussed, as we need to achieve a guideline for proper treatment of this painful side effect of cancer treatment. Palifermin, a keratinocyte growth factor has been shown to give promising results in cases of severe mucositis in hematopoetic stem cell transplant patients undergoing combined chemoradiotherapy. Other exogenous growth factors are also effective in the management of mucositis when administered topically or subcutaneously, but there is need for more number of studies with a large sample size for establishing a proper treatment plan which is cost effective as well as helpful in reducing patient’s discomfort.