Long-Term Oral Effects of Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Treatment

When it comes to treating breast cancer with radiation, it is a serious issue for most patients. The initial diagnosis is overwhelming enough, and the actual treatment can be exhausting—and that doesn’t even address the long-term effects chemotherapy has on patients. While most patients are ready for sensitivity to bruising and hair loss, oral conditions, such as oral mucositis, can develop as well, impacting a patient’s quality of life almost as much as the chemotherapy treatments themselves.

Inflammatory Processes

Beginning with the raw areas of the oral cavity, oral mucositis typically progresses to frank ulcers that doctors once believed originated from cytotoxic agents that were killing off the mouth’s healthy epithelial cells. However, according to the Dental Clinics of North America, these sores can also develop after patients increase the number of biochemical agents they produce as a result of chemotherapy. It’s a fairly normal side effect of chemotherapy to produce inflammation within the oral cavity, kill epithelial cells off, and develop ulcerative lesions.

How This Occurs

After starting chemotherapy, side effects, such as oral mucositis, can develop within just a few weeks. Lesions first appear as red sores before the epithelial cells begin eroding, and then frank ulcers start developing. Remember that these ulcers could progress until it will take weeks for them to heal once chemotherapy has completed. At this point, the ulcers would be susceptible to several kinds of secondary infections, such as candida and herpes.

Normal Complications

Regarding oral mucositis, pain is the worst side effect it can produce, and it’s often serious enough to warrant narcotics just to manage it—in turn leading to other complications. For example, if patients can’t eat, they can struggle to acquire adequate nutrition, thus making them more susceptible to secondary infections like cavities and gum disease. Additionally, these complications could require interrupting the patient’s chemotherapy until their nutrition intake is stabilized. In serious cases, it’s possible a feeding tube might be required to ensure the patient receives the minerals and vitamins their immune system desperately needs.

Treating Oral Mucositis

Treatment for oral mucositis is focused mainly on soothing discomfort, which there are many approaches for. In particularly difficult situations, morphine might be prescribed to ensure quick relief, but topical anesthetics are typically used for supplementing oral pain medication. Due to the mouth producing its own saliva, many rinses and coatings will likely not be effective, as they dilute too fast. You might also try sucking on ice chips during chemotherapy to help reduce the effects chemo has on oral soft tissues. As well, a soft or liquid diet may be essential while the mouth remains in its delicate state as well as a soft-bristled toothbrush.

If you are undergoing treatment, it may be time to see your dentist to ensure your oral health is not at risk. To find out how you can save as much as 20 percent on those visits, check out our New Hampshire discount dental plans for individuals, families, and small business owners. For more information, click here.

Copyright: bialasiewicz / 123RF Stock Photo