Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence and character of the oral manifestations among a group of Iraqi women who had received different chemotherapy treatments. Methods: A cross-sectional study of 150 patients treated Paclitaxel, Tamoxifen, 5-Fluorouracil or Capecitabine was done. To evaluate dysphagia reported by patients, changes in oral mucosa color, ulceration, cheilitis, and oral mucosa color, a standardized clinical examination was conducted. Results: Oral complications were extremely common, and only 58 patients did not exhibit the change in mucosal colour; the most frequent was redness (n=40). In 60 patients, oral ulceration was seen and most of them complained about painful lesions (n=41). The most common overall result was cheilitis and over one-third of the cohort (n=54) had cheilitis. Fourty-six patients reported difficulty in swallowing. The rate of these manifestations differed depending on the chemotherapeutic agent with the highest rates being seen with 5-Fluorouracil and dysphagia and paclitaxel and cheilitis and mucosal whitening respectively. Conclusion: The oral toxicities, especially mucositis, ulceration, cheilitis, and dysphagia are extremely frequent and regimen-related adverse effects of the chemotherapy in Iraqi women. These circumstances play a major role in patient morbidity, and they are a huge clinical liability. The results highlight the urgent necessity of agent-specific risk evaluation, preemptive patient education, and the use of stringent oral care guidelines before and during chemotherapy to prevent and reduce as well as manage these debilitating complications, which will positively impact the quality of life and compliance to treatment among oncology patients.

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