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Chan CWH, Law BMH, Wong MMH, Chan DNS, Ng MSN, So WKW, Wong CL, Chow KM. Oral mucositis among Chinese cancer patients receiving chemotherapy: Effects and management strategies. Asia Pac J Clin Oncol 2020; 17:e10-e17. [PMID: 32700818 DOI: 10.1111/ajco.13349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/01/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Oral mucositis is a painful and distressing complication of chemotherapy-induced toxicity in cancer patients that can develop early during the treatment regimen. Previous studies have demonstrated that both oxidative stress and inflammation play a role in the development of the ulceration that is a characteristic of oral mucositis. To date, a few studies have investigated the effect of this complication on the well-being of patients, demonstrating its negative impact on patients' functional ability and quality of life. This effect may entail chemotherapeutic drug dose reduction among patients, in turn reducing their cancer survival rates. Therefore, interventions to address the detrimental effects of oral mucositis on the well-being of cancer patients are required. This review provides an overview of the studies that have examined the negative effects of oral mucositis on Chinese cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, as well as the interventions shown to be effective in treating this complication, with a focus on interventions utilizing traditional Chinese medicine. Overall, both traditional Chinese medicine-based interventions and interventions involving patient education about effective oral care led by trained nurses were found to be useful in reducing the incidence and severity of oral mucositis among Chinese patients undergoing chemotherapy. Future oral mucositis management plans aiming at effective oral care among cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy should incorporate these types of interventions as integral components to enhance the well-being of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen W H Chan
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Bernard M H Law
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Martin M H Wong
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dorothy N S Chan
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Marques S N Ng
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Winnie K W So
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Cho Lee Wong
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Ming Chow
- Faculty of Medicine, The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
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