ABSTRACT
Dry mouth is a common condition, affecting around 40% of hospice patients but probably affecting most cancer patients at some stage as a result of treatment and general poor health. A sore mouth is most commonly due to candida infection, which occurs in about 10–15% of patients with cancer at almost any stage of the illness. The incidence in terminally ill patients is probably nearer 90%. Candidiasis is the commonest cause of oral infection, and is usually obvious as a raw oral mucosa coated with white plaques, but candidiasis in the mouth may present as redness alone without the white plaques. Resistant candidiasis usually responds to systemic oral fluconazole. When treating candida or other mouth infections, particular attention should be paid to dentures to ensure that they do not harbour infection.
