Chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis: pathobiology, epidemiology and management.
Oral mucositis is a debilitating complication of anticancer treatment, characterised by erythematous, atrophic, erosive or ulcerative lesions. Oral mucositis is almost always painful, affects eating, sleeping, and speech and affects the physiological and social well-being of the patient. The pathophysiology of the condition is not well understood. Guidelines to the treatment of oral mucositis are often contradictory so that there is no evidence based standard treatment protocol. Therefore the treatment is empiric. This paper offers a brief review of current knowledge of the pathophysiology and treatment of oral mucositis.
Department of Periodontology and Oral Medicine, School of Oral Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Limpopo, Medunsa Campus, South Africa. lfeller@ul.ac.za
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L
Feller
R
R
Essop
N H
NH
Wood
R A G
RA
Khammissa
U M E
UM
Chikte
R
R
Meyerov
J
J
Lemmer
D000367:Age Factors; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000009:adverse effects*; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000528:radiation effects; D016371:Cranial Irradiation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000473:pathology; D052016:Mucositis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D009503:Neutropenia / Q000209:etiology; D010166:Palliative Care; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents