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Palliative cancer care - oral problems - Management
When should I prescribe treatment to prevent oral mucositis following radiotherapy and chemotherapy?
- Start preventative measures before and during early cancer treatment to reduce the number of oral complications that follow chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
- Stress the importance of regular oral care. See Self care.
- Seek specialist advice to discuss whether any treatment to prevent or reduce the severity of oral mucositis is appropriate.
Basis for recommendation
- A Cochrane review found evidence that amifostine, antibiotic paste or pastilles, hydrolytic enzymes, or ice chips may be beneficial in preventing or reducing the severity of mucositis. However, the benefits may be specific to a certain cancer type or treatment, and because the quality of the evidence was limited, CKS recommends seeking specialist advice for each individual case. In addition, some of these interventions are not routinely available in the UK.
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