ABSTRACT
Cancer therapy commonly causes oral complications of significant morbidity and may severely impact quality of life during and after cancer treatment. Oral complications vary in pattern, duration, intensity, and number for cancer chemotherapy, head and neck radiation therapy, targeted therapies, and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Not every patient will develop every complication; however, oral complications often appear concurrently and a patient with cancer may experience oral mucositis, oral pain, oral fungal or viral infection, salivary gland hypofunction/xerostomia, and dysgeusia at the same time. Combined oral complications commonly lead to dysphagia (swallowing dysfunction) in patients with cancer.
The understanding of the mechanisms associated with oral complications continues to increase. Unfortunately, there are no universally effective agents or protocols to prevent toxicity. Thus, the current approach to reduce the frequency and severity of oral complications in cancer patients is the elimination of preexisting dental/periapical, periodontal, and mucosal infections; comprehensive oral hygiene protocols; reduction of factors that may compromise oral mucosal integrity; and prompt diagnosis of developing oral complications during and after cancer treatment with adequate alleviation and treatment. It is of importance that a multidisciplinary team collaborates closely with the patient to systematically assess, prevent, and treat oral complications.
