What are oral lesions?

• Painful oral lesions come in a variety of forms, from multiple small ulcers
• to more severe conditions such as mucositis.

What is oral mucositis?
• Oral mucositis is an unpleasant, painful ulceration and inflammation of the
• oral cavity.
• In some cases mucositis can cause severe discomfort or pain and, at worst,
• may prevent swallowing of food and fluids.

What causes oral mucositis?
• Oral mucositis is induced by a range of oncology therapies.
• It is estimated that the following proportion of people receiving anti-cancer
• therapies are affected by oral mucositis:
- standard-dose chemotherapy ~40%¹
- high-dose chemotherapy ~75%²
- radiotherapy for head or neck cancer ~100%³

When do symptoms develop?^4,5
• With chemotherapy, symptoms usually develop between days four and five,
• peaking after seven to ten days.
• With radiotherapy to the head & neck, symptoms will peak after seven to
• ten days and usually last until two weeks after therapy is completed.

References (click here)