Sometimes treatment must be stopped completely. Management of oral complications of cancer therapy involves identifying who is at risk, starting preventive measures before cancer therapy begins, and treating complications as soon as they appear. Description and causes Oral complications associated with cancer chemotherapy and radiation result from many factors. The most prominent contributors are damage to oral tissues, weakening of the immune system, and a decrease in the normal healing process. Elimination of pre- existing dental problems and the use of good oral hygiene during therapy can reduce the occurrence and severity of oral complications in the cancer patient.
Chemotherapy causes acute complications that usually heal after treatment ends.
Radiation can cause acute complications but is also responsible for permanent tissue damage that results in chronic problems. Complications caused by chemotherapy Open sores in the mouth occur in many patients receiving chemotherapy, and about half of the patients have severe lesions that require medical treatment, including changes in cancer medication. Lesions usually begin to appear about 2 weeks after beginning therapy and continue until blood counts return to normal. Radiation damage can cause a reduction in blood supply and oxygen to the bones, resulting in tissue breakdown, exposed bone, infection, tissue death, and pain. Both radiation therapy and chemotherapy drugs affect the ability of cells to divide, making it difficult for tissue to repair itself.