New frontiers in the management of chemotherapy-induced mucositis.

Abstract

About one-third of patients undergoing chemotherapy treatment suffer oral mucositis, an inflammatory-like change of the oral mucosa. Severe pseudomembranous/ulcerative mucositis can lead to secondary infection of lesions, sepsis and even cessation of treatment. Patients receiving curative head-neck irradiation are most susceptible and children undergoing chemotherapy are three times more likely to be affected. Mucositis is a costly side-effect of cancer therapy due to the extra time patients spend in hospital and currently there is no consistently effective treatment. Experimental studies with TGF-beta 3, a potent negative regulator of epithelial and haematopoietic stem cell growth, have shown that it is possible to temporarily arrest oral mucosal basal cell proliferation, and could therefore offer a new effective and safe form of preventative intervention for patients about to undergo aggressive regimens of cancer therapy.

• Authors: F K Spijkervet, S T Sonis
• Journal: Current opinion in oncology (Curr Opin Oncol) Vol. 10 Suppl 1 Pg. S23-7 (Aug 1998) ISSN: 1040-8746 [Print] United States
• PMID: 9801855 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)

Chemical References

• Antineoplastic Agents
• Growth Inhibitors
• Transforming Growth Factor beta
• Fluorouracil

Topics

• Adult
• Animals
• Antineoplastic Agents (adverse effects)
• Cell Division (drug effects)
• Child
• Cricetinae
• Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
• Epithelial Cells (drug effects)
• Fluorouracil (toxicity)
• Growth Inhibitors (pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Humans
• Mesocricetus
• Mouth Mucosa (drug effects)
• Stomatitis (chemically induced, drug therapy, economics, therapy)
• Transforming Growth Factor beta (pharmacology, therapeutic use)