Authors: Stuart L Goldberg Laura Chiang Natalya Selina Stephanie Hamarman
Publish Date: 2004/05/19
Volume: 12, Issue: 7, Pages: 526-530
Abstract
Oral mucositis OM the painful inflammation of oropharyngeal tissues is an economically costly chemotherapy toxicity Several agents to prevent chemotherapyinduced OM are in development with most studies conducted among transplantation subjects with a brief welldefined risk period The potential value of these preventative agents among hematologyoncology populations receiving cyclic standarddose therapy is unknownPatients receiving standarddose chemotherapy at an outpatient oncology center over a 2week timeframe were invited to participate in an anonymous unprompted survey The survey instrument consisted of six demographic questions and six questions regarding toxicities of chemotherapyOf 514 patients providing completed surveys from among approximately 1625 patients 32 response rate 167 32 reported experiencing OM Factors associated with developing OM included number of chemotherapy cycles P=0001 hematologic malignancy P=002 female gender P=003 age P=005 and treatment with anthracyclines P=0001 vinca alkaloids P=0001 cyclophosphamide P=0001 fludarabine P=001 cis/carboplatin P=005 and radiotherapy P=0005 Among patients experiencing OM 69 considered OM to be an important toxicity with 7 rating their OM very severe 18 severe 36 moderate and 29 mild Recurrent OM was reported by 87 patients 53 and was judged similar in severity by 67 milder by 27 and more severe by 6 OM was considered the sixth most distressing complication behind in descending order fatigue hair loss nausea numbness and diarrhea and more important than anxiety and heartburnOM represents a common toxicity of standarddose chemotherapy occurring in approximately onethird of patients Highrisk populations can be identified permitting targeting of primary prophylaxis strategies whereby all patients possessing highrisk factors are treated to prevent OM However since OM was selfreported by only onethird of patients receiving standarddose chemotherapy but over half of those experiencing OM developed recurrent episodes secondary prophylaxis strategies targeting recurrent OM episodes may be more appropriate
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