title: New frontiers in the management of chemotherapy-induced mucositis.
abstract: About one-third of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment suffer oral mucositis, an inflammatory-like change of the oral mucosa. Severe pseudomembranous/ulcerative mucositis can lead to secondary infection of lesions, sepsis and even cessation of treatment. Patients receiving curative head-neck irradiation are most susceptible and children undergoing chemotherapy are three times more likely to be affected. Mucositis is a costly side-effect of cancer therapy due to the extra time patients spend in hospital and currently there is no consistently effective treatment. Experimental studies with TGF-beta 3, a potent negative regulator of epithelial and haematopoietic stem cell growth, have shown that it is possible to temporarily arrest oral mucosal basal cell proliferation, and could therefore offer a new effective and safe form of preventative intervention for patients about to undergo aggressive regimens of cancer therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery, University Hospital Groningen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Spijkervet
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Sonis
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002648:Child; D006224:Cricetinae; D004353:Drug Evaluation, Preclinical; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000633:toxicity; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008647:Mesocricetus; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000191:economics / Q000628:therapy; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D005472:Fluorouracil