Novel approach to the therapy of oral mucositis: a review

Abstract

Oral mucositis (OM) is a serious inflammation of the mucosa and occurs in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) who are being treated with radiotherapy (RT) and/or chemotherapy (CT), and in patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The inflammation accompanied with painful ulcerations inside the oral cavity impairs its function making the basic functions like eating and speech hard or even impossible. It usually occurs at the end of the first week of RT and lasts for several weeks after cessation. The intensity of OM can sometimes lead to discontinuation of RT. The degree of mucositis regarding chemotherapy depends on the type of antineoplastic drug, therapeutic procedure, duration of the therapy and dose, as well as previous exposure of the oral cavity to toxic agents. Prolonged or repeated administration of lower doses of chemotherapy is associated with a higher chance of developing oral mucositis comparing to a bolus, while chronomodulation of chemotherapy reduces the possibility of mucositis without affecting antineoplastic activity. The treatment of OM is symptomatic, as there is still no effective treatment. In this review paper, several contemporary options for alleviating the symptoms of oral mucositis are listed.