De Sanctis, V., Bossi, P., Sanguineti, G., Trippa, F., Ferrari, D., Bacigalupo, A., . . . Lalla, R.V. (2016). Mucositis in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy and systemic therapies: Literature review and consensus statements. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology, 100, 147–166.
DOI Link
Purpose & Patient Population
Type of Resource/Evidence-Based Process
- RESOURCE TYPE: Evidence-based guideline
Phase of Care and Clinical Applications
- PHASE OF CARE: Active antitumor treatment
Results Provided in the Reference
No information is provided regarding the volume of evidence retrieved or quality ratings of studies included.
Guidelines & Recommendations
- Oral hygiene
- Pretreatment control of preexisting periodontal and dental disease with professional cleaning
- Routine use of palifermin is not recommended.
- Regular oral care with use of nonalcohol-containing mouthwashes
- At least weekly assessment
All specific interventions had either recommendations against use or no ability to provide a recommendation. Cryotherapy even with bolus 5-FU was not recommended due to lack of evidence in the setting of RT for patients with head and neck cancer. The guideline provides a listing of numerous interventions that have been examined with no recommendations for use.
Limitations
- Limited search and no clear study quality rating
- Unclear if the panel reviewed all the evidence or just statements created by an individual facilitator
Nursing Implications
This review provides a comprehensive list of interventions, none of which can be recommended for practice. This article does provide a good overview of assessment instruments and provides some information on probable risk factors.