Preventing Oral Mucositis
You and your health care team can develop strategies to help prevent oral
mucositis (OM). The most important prevention strategies begin at home. Good
oral hygiene is the key to protecting your mouth from OM or limiting
the severity of OM if you develop it.1,2,3
In addition to practicing good oral hygiene at home, there are other things
you and your health care team can do to help you prevent OM. It is important
for you to visit an oral care specialist before beginning cancer treatment.
He or she will evaluate your mouth, checking for problems that can increase
your risk of OM during cancer treatment.1 Also, avoiding certain foods
and substances may decrease your risk of developing OM during cancer treatment.2
To learn more about how you and your health care team can help prevent OM,
check out the following pages in this section:
References
- Schubert M. Oral Mucositis in Cancer Patients. Oncology Special Edition 2004;
7:51-5.
- Epstein JB, Schubert MM. Oropharyngeal mucositis in cancer therapy.
Review of pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management. Oncology (Huntingt) 2003;
17:1767-79.
- Rubenstein, EB, et al., Clinical practice guidelines for the prevention
and treatment of cancer therapy-induced oral and gastrointestinal mucositis. Cancer 2004;
100(9 Suppl):2026-46.
