No abstract

The BMS patients showed a poor sleep quality, anxiety and depression, as compared with the controls, highlighting the relationships between oral burning, sleep and mood.

Purpose To update the clinical practice guidelines for the use of natural and miscellaneous agents for the prevention and/or treatment of oral mucositis (OM). Methods A systematic review was conducted by the Mucositis Study Group of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer / International Society of Oral Oncology (MASCC/ISOO). The body of evidence for each intervention, in each cancer treatment setting, was assigned an evidence level. The findings were added to the database used to develop the 2014 MASCC/ ISOO clinical practice guidelines. Based on the evidence level, the following guidelines were determined: Recommendation, Suggestion, and No Guideline Possible. Results A total of 78 papers were identified within the scope of this section, out of which 29 were included in this part, and were analyzed with 27 previously reviewed studies. A new Suggestion was made for oral glutamine for the prevention of OM in head and neck (H&N) cancer patients receiving radiotherapy with concomitant chemotherapy. The previous Recommendation against the use of parenteral glutamine for the prevention of OM in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) patients was reestablished. A previous Suggestion for zinc to prevent OM in H&N cancer patients treated with radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy was reversed to No Guideline Possible. No guideline was possible for other interventions. Conclusions Of the vitamins, minerals, and nutritional supplements studied for the management of OM, the evidence supports a Recommendation against parenteral glutamine in HSCT patients and a Suggestion in favor of oral glutamine in H&N cancer patients for the management of OM.

Oral mucositis (OM) is a serious and acute side effect in patients with cancer who receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy, often leading to the suspension of therapy and a need for opioid analgesic and enteral/parenteral nutrition, with an effect on patient survival. Among the various interventions proposed in OM management, laser therapy is becoming a recommended treatment option but has limitations due to its heterogeneous laser parameters. Here, we report on our successful clinical experience on the use of class IV laser therapy to treat OM induced by different chemotherapy regimens. To shed light on the mechanisms of action of laser therapy in improving OM resolution, we have developed an animal model of chemotherapy-induced OM, in which we compare the efficacy of the standard low-power laser therapy protocol with an innovative protocol, defined as high-power laser therapy. We show that high-power laser therapy is more effective than low-power laser therapy in improving OM lesion healing, reducing the inflammatory burden, and preserving tissue integrity. In addition, high-power laser therapy has been particularly effective in promoting the formation of new arterioles within the granulation tissue. Our results provide important insights into the mechanism of action of biostimulating laser therapy on OM in vivo and pave a way for clinical experimentation with the use of high-power laser therapy.

PBM is a safe, feasible, and effective treatment for children affected by chemotherapy-induced OM, as it accelerates mucosal recovery and reduces pain.