Purpose: To comprehensively assess the prevalence and risk factors of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in 470 children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in China, and to gain a better understanding of the treatment-related risk factors.
Methods: In this retrospective study, 470 children diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in China between January 2020 and July 2022 were included. Data on sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional status, disease and treatment history, blood biochemistry, and microbiological factors were gathered using electronic medical records, alongside oral and dietary information collected through field investigations and telephone follow-ups. The association between chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis and these variables was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic analyses.
Results: The study found a high prevalence (45.1%) of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. The occurrence of oral mucositis was associated with several factors, including receiving more than five chemotherapy cycles (P<0.001), carrying HSV-1(P=0.016), being infected with Candida albicans(P=0.012), undergoing chemotherapy with specific drugs containing methotrexate/daunorubicin/cytarabine(P<0.001), having a high clinical risk stratification(P=0.002), and being over 6 years old(P=0.002).
Conclusion: The study suggests that the prevalence of chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia is relatively high. It emphasizes the importance of clinical medical staff paying attention to this issue and adopting targeted interventions to reduce the prevalence of oral mucositis in this patient population.