Oral mucositis: A challenging complication of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiochemotherapy: Part 1, pathogenesis and prophylaxis of mucositis

Abstract Background. Oral mucositis is a common sequel of radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiochemotherapy in patients with cancer or patients requiring hemopoietic stem cell transplants. Mucositis has a direct and significant impact on the duration of disease remission and cure rates, because it is a cancer treatment–limiting toxicity. Mucositis also affects survival because of the risk of infection and has a significant impact on the quality of life and cost of care. Methods. This article reviews publications on the etiopathogenesis and prevention of oral mucositis accessible from a MEDLINE search using as key words, mucositis, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, hemopoietic stem cell transplant, and oral. Conclusions. Of the current available products, ice chips and benzydamine have the strongest scientific evidence of support for prophylaxis of mucositis. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 25: 000–000, 2003