[ study of effective risk factors in head and neck radiotherapy and chemotherapy induced mucositis]

ABSTRACT

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the united states. The ultimate aim of treatment of cancerous patients is defintive cure and improvement of quality of life. Side effects of cancer therapy are acute and chronic, so study of different factors which influence mucositis as an acute side-effect of head and neck chemotherapy and radiotherapy would be beneficial. Mucositis in severe cases could lead to treatment stoppage. 90 patients under chemotherapy and 10 patients under head and neck radiotherapy were included in this descriptive analytic study at Omid hospital [cancer treatment center] from Oct. 2002 to Apr. 2003. A questionnaire including patient and treatment related risk factors was filled for each patient. Patient related risk factors consisted of sex, age, oral hygiene, history of systemic disease, and smoking habits while treatment related risk factors consisted of schedule, chemotherapeutic agent, total dose and field of radiotherapy. The patients in radiotherapy group were examined clinically every two weeks and patients in chemotherapy group were examined only if they complained of mucositis. No one in the chemotherapy group referred to the hospital with mucositis. 80% of the patients in the radiotherapy group suffered from mucositis [from grade I to IV]. There was no significant relationship between the radiotherapy and patient risk factors and either the time of mucositis onset or the highest grade of mucositis. This can be due to the insufficient number of samples. Considering the insufficient number of samples in radiotherapy group and lack of patient referring in chemotherapy group due to mucositis, other studies with sufficient samples and longer periods are recommended. Conducting studies including hematologic malignancies as well as other malignancies are also recommended