Oral Care for Cancer Chemotherapy Patients

The oral cavity is a prime target of treatment-related toxic effects of cancer chemotherapy by multiple factors. We recently evaluated the usefulness of oral care in patients receiving anti-cancer chemotherapy who were referred to the Department of Dentistry and Oral Surgery, Shinshu University School of Medicine. During the survey period from January 2000 to October 2003, 135 patients receiving anti-cancer chemotherapy were referred to our department. About half of them were being treated for hematological malignancy (e.g., leukemia and malignant lymphoma). It was previously reported that complications within the oral cavity were seen in about 40% of the patients following radical chemotherapy. Although the exact total number of patients who received chemotherapy at our facility during the survey period is unknown, at least 29 patients developed oral complications during chemotherapy. None of these 29 patients had received oral cavity screening or oral care before chemotherapy. The incidence of oral complications was very low (3.1%)among the patients who received oral screening and oral care before chemotherapy. These results suggest the usefulness of oral care in the management of patients receiving anti-cancer chemotherapy