Introduction: Oral mucositis, one of the major side effects of chemotherapy and irradiation, is still a burden of modern oncology. The keratinocyte growth factor (KGF) palifermin has been approved as a new, targeted therapy for the prevention of severe oral mucositis.
Areas covered: The authors review the literature on pharmacokintetics and clinical use of palifermin in patients with hematological malignancies and solid tumors for the prevention of chemo- and radiation-induced mucositis by using the PubMed database and additional literature where applicable. The article includes in vitro data, clinical trials as well as case reports regarding dosage, administration schedule, efficacy and adverse events.
Expert opinion: There is sufficient data for a beneficial effect of palifermin prophylaxis for patients with hematological cancers receiving high-dose chemotherapy and total body irradiation as well as patients with head and neck cancer receiving combined irradiation and chemotherapy. In less mucotoxic regimens, dose and schedule of palifermin to achieve protection from mucositis are less well defined. The balance of benefit and unwanted effects has to be evaluated and weighed for individual chemotherapy regimens and patient groups. Further research on the prevention of mucositis should aim to determine the patient's individual risk to develop severe mucositis.