The Pain of Oral Mucositis

Abstract

The Scope of the Problem Over the past two decades, advances in the supportive care of oncology patients have permitted more aggressive treatment strategies that would otherwise not have been possible. However, the prevention and treatment of oral mucositis (OM) remains a dilemma. The American Cancer Society in 1999 estimated that approximately 400,000 patients annually will experience some type of oral complication as a result of their cancer treatment.¹ The tissue trauma and associated pain of OM were identified as major clinical problems as far back as the 1970s, yet they remain a significant concern for the majority of patients undergoing cancer treatments.² The National Cancer Institute estimated in 2005 that almost 100% of patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancers experience OM, as do 80% of patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and 40% of patients receiving standard-dose chemotherapy.³