Strategies to Support Patients Undergoing Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy (RT) is often used for treating head and neck cancers (HNC), including cancers in the oral cavity, oropharynx, larynx, hypopharynx, and salivary glands. The course of RT for such cases usually involves daily fractions of about 2 Gray (Gy), given 5 days per week for 5 weeks to 7 weeks, for a total dose of about 50 Gy to 70 Gy.
This treatment results in several short-term and long-term side effects in the mouth. The short-term side effects can include oral mucositis, reduced salivary flow, candidiasis and taste changes. The long-term effects may include reduced salivary flow and increased risk for dental caries, periodontal diseases, tooth loss, osteoradionecrosis, and trismus.
* References can be found in the original article via the link below.
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