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Significant
advancements have been made in the management of patients undergoing
cancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, many debilitating
side effects such as vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, and mucositis
remain critical issues that often delay or truncate therapy and
impede recovery. Mucositis is a painful condition that significantly
impairs chewing and swallowing. Previously referred to as "stomatitis"
or "mouth sores," mucositis presents as redness and/or
ulcerative sores in the soft tissues of the mouth. Mucositis is
seen in patients with reduced white blood cell counts due to cancer
chemotherapy and/or therapeutic irradiation.
In a recent
study of bone marrow transplant patients, mouth sores were ranked
by patients as the most debilitating side effect of their treatment
(Bellm
et al., 2000). Many ongoing studies aim to address the prevention
and treatment of mucositis. Assessing the pain and level of debilitation
in patients with mucositis, however, can be difficult due to the
subjective nature of pain perception and oral function.
This chapter
presents an overview of mucositis and suggestions about conducting
clinical trials involving oral pain and dysfunction.
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