Prevention of oral mucositis due to 5-fluorouracil treatment with oral cryotherapy.
BACKGROUND
One of the most common and important side effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is mucositis with ulcerations in the oral cavity. We investigated the effects of local cryotherapy on mucositis incidence administrated durng 5-FU treatment.


METHODS
In a total of 99 courses, 5-FU and folinic acid combination chemotherapy was given to 40 patients. In our study, we considered every course as a single case, and cryotherapy was given to the same patient in one course but not given in the next.


RESULTS
While mucositis developed in 6.7% of the courses given with cryotherapy, this ratio was 38.9% in courses given without cryotherapy. In the logistic regression analysis, development of mucositis had been found to correlate only with cryotherapy. Odds ratio (OR) = 11.5; in the 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.2 - 41.9; (p = 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Results of initial studies evaluating the effects of cryotherapy in preventing mucositis due to 5-FU based chemotherapy regimens were promising. We concluded that oral cooling prevents 5-FU induced mucositis. This effective prophylactic treatment should be used in patients who are at increased risk for developing 5-FU induced mucositis.
Baydar
Mustafa
M
Inonu University, School of Medicine, Department of Hematology, Turgut Ozal Medical Center, Malatya, Turkey.
Dikilitas
Mustafa
M
Sevinc
Alper
A
Aydogdu
Ismet
I
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000009:adverse effects; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil