Oral Complications of Cancer Therapy

Question 1

Frequent oral complication of chemo and radiotherapy; in radiation of head and neck, can be severe->limiting dose or leading to discontinuation; incidence higher in patients w/ primary tumor in oral cavity, oropharynx or nasopharynx, concomitant CT, total dose>500cGy

Answer 1

Oral Mucositis

Question 2

Can appear anywhere in the oral mucosa; nonkeratinized mucosa is more often affected; keratosis; erythema; edema; ulceration; bleeding; pain; most secondary infections involve Candida and HSV

Answer 2

Oral Mucositis

Question 3

_ -induced Oral Mucositis: 7-14 days after initiation; heals within a few weeks after

Answer 3

Chemotherapy

Question 4

Oral mucositis related to _ for
/ cancer: typical 6-7 weeks regimen-> onset by the 2nd/3rd week; increased severity with increased dose; areas affected by the field; duration: several weeks after the end

Answer 4

Radiotherapy for head/neck cancers

Question 5

Subjective complaint of dry mouth

Answer 5

xerostomia

Question 6

Difficulty in chewing and swallowing; need to sip water all day long; loss of taste and appetite; oral tissues dry and erythematous; saliva cannot be expressed from the salivary ducts; tongue deppapilated; sever caries and perio disease

Answer 6

salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia

Question 7

50-70% of patients receiving CT and/or RT; distorted or impaired ability to taste; affects appetite; reduces caloric intake; induces weight loss; decreases nutritional status

Answer 7

Dysgeusia

Question 8

Routine herpes labialis to severe stomatitis: large, painful ulcerations throughout the mouth; recurrent infections occurring simultaneously with cancer-therapy induced OM-> development of extensive, confluent mucosal ulcerations clinically similar to primary herpetic stomatitis

Answer 8

Herpes simplex virus

Question 9

Result of reactivation of latent virus; painful clusters of vesicles usually localized to one neurodermatome

Answer 9

Varicella-zoster virus

Question 10

Characterized by a non-healing area of exposed mandibular and maxillary bone of at least 6 months duration in a patient who has been treated with radiation therapy for cancer; defect in wound healing that is consequence of diminished vascularization secondary to irradiation, and that does not represent an infectious process

Answer 10

Osteoradionecrosis

Question 11

Denudation of soft tissue and exposure and necrosis of underlying bone, causing a chronic, painful, foul-smelling, festering lesion; mandible is more involved often than the maxilla

Answer 11

Osteoradionecrosis