Oral Mucositis, Incidence, Risk factors, Clinical Features, Scoring, Pathophysiology and Treatment: A Review of Literature

Cancer is a broad group of different diseases involve the unregulated cell growth in which the cells divide uncontrollably forming the malignant tumors. The management are by chemotherapy, surgery, radiation therapy or by other treatments. Oral mucositis refers to the inflammation and ulceration that occurs in the mouth and considered as a side effect of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy treatment for malignant tumor. The aim of this study was to review the incidence, risk factors, clinical features, scoring, pathophysiology and treatment of oral mucositis. The incidence of oral mucositis is varying from patient to patient depending on the type, dose and duration of the treatment the patient receives. The risk factors are the patient-related factors (like the age, gender, racial factor, poor oral hygiene, periodontal disease, nutritional status, xerostomia, co-existing diseases, tobacco use and alcohol consumption) and the treatment-related risk factors which includes the chemotherapy risk factors (like the type of chemotherapy, dose and duration) and the radiation therapy risk factors (like the anatomical area irradiated, volume of tissue irradiated, total dose, fractionation regim