Oral Problems in Oncology Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Solid Tumors: A Prospective Observational Study

Giulia Ottaviani; Giada Targato; Katia Rupel; Margherita Gobbo; Daniele Generali; Alessandra Guglielmi; Angela Dicorato; Daniela Adamo; Federica Canfora; Roberto Di Lenarda; Matteo Biasotto

doi:10.3390/cancers16010176

Oral Problems in Oncology Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy for Solid Tumors: A Prospective Observational Study

Cancers (Basel). 2023 Dec 29;16(1):176. doi: 10.3390/cancers16010176.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Strada di Fiume 447, 34149 Trieste, Italy.
² Department od Medicine (DAME), University of Udine, 33100 Udine, Italy.
³ Department of Oncology, Udine Academic Hospital, Azienda Sanitaria Universitaria Friuli Centrale (ASUFC), 33100 Udine, Italy.
⁴ Unit of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ca' Foncello Hospital, 31100 Treviso, Italy.
⁵ Department of Oncology, Maggiore Hospital, Piazza dell'Ospitale 1, 34125 Trieste, Italy.
⁶ Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive Sciences and Dentistry, University of Naples Federico II, 5 Via Pansini, 80131 Naples, Italy.

Abstract

Purpose: Oral problems in a group of oncological patients undergoing chemotherapy (CT) for solid tumors have been examined. Incidence and severity of patients' self-reported oral problems have been evaluated along their interaction with age, gender, tumor diagnosis and stage, presence of mestastasis, CT agent type, and number of CT cycle. We also analyzed the presence of paraesthesia and anaesthesia and their predisposing factors associated with clinical and treatment-related variables.

Methods: Patients were asked to fill in a questionnaire to evaluate the onset and the intensity of oral and perioral pain, oral mucositis, salivary gland hypofunction, dysgeusia, dysphagia, dysphonia, and sensitivity neuropathy (paraesthesia or dysaesthesia) since the last CT infusion. We also investigated which types of medications have possibly been used and who recommended it, as well as patients' degree of awareness about the possibility of oral problems arising during CT.

Results: We recruited 194 patients and obtained 491 questionnaires. We found that a metastatic disease was a risk factor for OM (OR 2.02, p = 0.026) and salivary gland hypofunction (OR 1.66, p = 0.042) and that platinum agents, compared to mitotic inhibitors, increased the risk of developing salivary gland hypofunction (OR 2.16, p = 0.013), dysphagia (OR 3.26, p = 0.001), and anaesthesia (OR 5.16, p = 0.041). Young age was a slight protective factor for most symptoms. The 80% of enrolled patients were informed by the oncologist about possible oral problems arising during CT.

Conclusions: Our study highlighted the importance of collecting observational data from the patients' perspective on oral problems arising during the routine oncology practice, across a range of solid tumors and CT regimens. The relevance of these findings focused on the key role of the multidisciplinary team in advising the patients on the possible occurrence of oral problems, also by recommending their management.

Keywords: chemotherapy; numb chin syndrome; oral problems; solid tumors; stomatotoxicity.

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.