Efficacy of Orosol® in the Treatment of Chemo- and Radiation-induced Mucositis.

Oral mucositis is one of the most debilitating side effects of radiation therapy and various forms of chemotherapy, especially for head and neck cancers and hematopoietic stem cell transplants.

It is a consequence of the cytostatic effects of anticancer treatments on rapidly renewing cells of the oral mucosa; An ulcer appears which will increase in size due to subsequent bacterial, fungal and / or viral growth, while the leakage of toxins through damaged capillaries causes irritation and a burning sensation. Proteolytic enzymes, known to destroy the extracellular matrix, inhibit cell regeneration and healing.

Depending on the severity of the ulceration, infection and feeding possibilities, mucositis is scored between grade 0 (absent) and grade 4 (maximum) (according to the WHO (World Health Organization) classification or the NCI-CTCAE (National Cancer Institute-Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events), the latter degree most often requiring a modification of the anticancer treatment which may have an impact on the prognosis of the disease.

Although, theoretically, mucositis is easy to treat because it only requires simple cleaning of the ulcers and stimulation of the growth of the underlying healthy cells to make up for the loss of substance, there are currently only limited symptomatic treatments available.