How many of your patients suffer from oral
mucositis?
Oral mucositis is a common, debilitating side effect of cancer
therapy.
Impact of OM
OM is common, with the potential to significantly
debilitate and cause:
- Severe pain2 and ulcerations5
- Higher rates of parenteral feeding and PEG tube
placements1
- Dysphagia,5 malnutrition, 5 and weight
loss7
- Serious and potentially life-threatening
infections,5
- In neutropenic patients, OM is a clinically significant risk
factor for sepsis6
- Significantly impaired quality of life, 6
- More unplanned visits to the hospital1
- Dose reductions and delays2
- OM may represent a dose-limiting toxicity6
- Increased narcotic use2
Severe OM, Severe Problems
At Grades 3 or 4, OM:
- Causes chemotherapy dose reductions in approximately 60% of
affected patients6
- About 30% of these patients have their regimen discontinued
entirely6
- Doubles the rate of emergency visits9
- Adds 7 days of hospitalization per chemotherapy
cycle9
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PSYCHOLOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
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FUNCTIONAL/CLINICAL CONSEQUENCES
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CONSEQUENCES FOR CARE
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Pain
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Nutrition
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Hospitalisation
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- Pain is the main symptom of oral mucositis.26
- It is very disabling and is the 1st cause of
complaint in patients since nausea and vomiting are treated
actively and effectively.27
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- Difficulty eating, drinking, swallowing and
speaking.6
- Substantial weight loss.28
- A loss of or an adverse effect on the sense of taste due to
reduced production of saliva, exposure of the tongue to radiation
theraphy and an adverse effect on the taste buds which will only
function normally again 4 months after the end of the treatment,
depending on the patient.26,29
- Feeding parenterally or by the insertion of a nasogastric
tube.26, 29
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- Management of oral mucositis and its consequences (an increase
in the number of days in hospital and additional treatments)
results in substantial additional costs.30
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Quality of life
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Infection
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Impact on the cancer
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- Breaking off social and family relationships can lead to social
isolation, which is a source of great psychological distress and
depression.6
- Mucositis can cause insomnia and asthenia.6
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- Gaps in the oral mucosa can encourage the entry of infectious
organisms (bacteria - fungi).27,31
- A heightened risk of infections can extend to and contaminate
the blood (septicemia), particularly if the immune defence is
reduced.27,31
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- Oral mucositis can lead to a reduction in, or even the stopping
of, the cancer therapy doses, which can bring about failure of the
treatment.5,30
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Death
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- The onset of oral mucositis can affect the patient's life
expectancy.30
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