Oral mucositis induced by conventional cytotoxic
cancer therapies is a common and significant clinical problem in oncology.
Mucositis symptoms, which include severe
pain, may lead to
dose reductions and unplanned interruptions of
chemotherapy and/or
radiotherapy, and often affect patients' quality of life. In addition, ulcerative
mucositis represents a risk factor for local or systemic infectious complications that may be life-threatening in immunosuppressed patients. The development of biologically based targeted
cancer therapies, which aim to block the growth, spread, and survival of
tumors by interfering with specific molecular targets, may have reduced mucosal injury, but did not eliminate it. This article will review the epidemiology, pathobiology, and management of
oral mucositis associated with conventional cytotoxic
therapies for malignant diseases and will briefly summarize emerging information on oral mucosal injury associated with targeted
therapies. Considerations for future research aimed at the development of more efficient and effective supportive care approaches will be presented, with emphasis on the contribution of dental researchers and clinicians in these efforts.