Despite the significant clinical and economic impact of mucositis in patients receiving cancer treatment, there is little to offer to patients developing this condition, and the medications used in its management are generally only palliative. Given that mucositis is ultimately a predictable and, therefore, potentially preventable condition, Colella and co-workers have recently appraised the scientific literature and partnered with STEMM Research to evaluate effective methods of prevention that have been tested in randomised controlled trials (RCTs).
High-level evidence shows that multiple preventative methods are potentially effective in the prevention of oral mucositis induced by radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or both. Anti-inflammatory medications (including benzydamine), growth factors and cytokines (including palifermin and erythropoietin), cryotherapy, laser-and-light therapy, herbal medicines and supplements, and mucoprotective agents (including oral pilocarpine) showed some degree of efficacy in preventing/reducing the severity of mucositis with most anticancer treatments.
The results of this study may assist in highlighting the efficacy and testing the effectiveness of low-cost, safe preventative measures for oral mucositis in cancer patients.
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