Validation of the oral mucositis assessment scale in pediatric cancer.
BACKGROUND
Our objective was to examine the construct validity of the Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS) in children receiving doxorubicin chemotherapy.


METHODS
Children between 6 and 18 years of age with cancer receiving doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy were included. OMAS was measured on days 7, 10, 14, and 17 after chemotherapy. Other measures of mucositis obtained concurrent with OMAS were the World Health Organization (WHO) mucositis scale and pain visual analogue scale (VAS). We also recorded analgesia administration.


RESULTS
Sixteen children were studied for 45 post-chemotherapy cycles and 156 OMAS assessments were performed. OMAS was moderately correlated with WHO scores (r = 0.56; P = 0.0006) whereas correlation with the pain VAS was fair (r = 0.37; P = 0.002). OMAS also had fair correlation with the number of doses of topical analgesia (r = 0.43; P = 0.001) and with the cumulative dose of opioid analgesia (r = 0.38; P = 0.003).


CONCLUSIONS
The OMAS is valid for use in mucositis clinical trials for children at least 6 years of age.
Sung
Lillian
L
Department of Pediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. lillian.sung@sickkids.ca
Tomlinson
George A
GA
Greenberg
Mark L
ML
Koren
Gideon
G
Judd
Peter
P
Ota
Sylvia
S
Feldman
Brian M
BM
D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000293:Adolescent; D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects; D002648:Child; D003680:Deglutition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004317:Doxorubicin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004890:Erythema / Q000139:chemically induced; D005260:Female; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005892:Gingivitis, Necrotizing Ulcerative / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000188:drug therapy
D018712:Analgesics, Non-Narcotic; D009294:Narcotics; D004317:Doxorubicin