From: Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies (PDQ®)
PDQ Cancer Information Summaries [Internet].
Bethesda (MD): National Cancer Institute (US); 2002-.
NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
Table 10. Oral Management of Patients Receiving Targeted Cancer Therapy or Immunotherapy
| Before Cancer Therapy | During Cancer Therapy | After Cancer Therapy |
|---|---|---|
| Document baseline oral mucosal status | Assess number and severity of oral mucosal lesions clinically documented to be caused by targeted therapy/immunotherapy | Monitor for possible late adverse oral effects |
| Provide patient education | Provide topical, intralesional, or systemic steroid treatment if oral pain is severe | Targeted therapy: Monitor for and treat gingival bleeding, necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis, stomatitis, aphthous-like ulcers, hyperkeratosis |
| Immunotherapy: Monitor for and treat lichenoid reactions (ulcerative or reticular), benign membrane pemphigoid, xerostomia, taste changes | ||
| Oral lesions are common for both classes of medications; consider in differential diagnosis of candidiasis and herpes simplex infections, medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw |