Oral mucositis (OM) occurs in more than 50% of pediatric patients who receive cancer treatment and is one of the most distressing side effects of chemotherapy. Prevention of oral mucositis and subsequently preventing secondary oral infections is the cornerstone of management. In this context, parents and child education is an essential part of management at diagnosis, during and after treatment of cancer.
Although different interventions for the prevention and treatment of OM have been studied in adult oncology patients, reporting different levels of benefit, the efficacy of these interventions in children is still under review. OM is thus one of the novel research areas in supportive care for patients undergoing cancer therapy.
Pathophysiology
Mucositis has been described as a complex physiologic process that can be examined in five stages: initiation, message generation, signal amplification, ulceration, and healing.
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