Oral mucositis (OM) is a painful and debilitating complication of cancer therapy that can adversely affect patients' treatment regimens and quality of life. It is also considered to be a substantial burden on the financial and human resources of health services. Despite progress in the understanding of the pathophysiology of OM and the number of new treatments that have been developed, there remains an unmet need for effective preventative measures in clinical practice. Literature on oral healthcare management in oncology patients suggests that a preventative approach consisting of a supersaturated Ca2+ / PO4(3-) oral rinse (Caphosol(®)) aimed at maintaining oral hygiene, moistening and lubricating the oral cavity, effectively reduces the incidence and severity of OM. This review looked at data from all known adult and paediatric studies investigating the use of Caphosol(®) in patients receiving high-dose cancer therapy in order to evaluate its efficacy for both the prevention and treatment of OM. Thirty studies were identified. The majority of these studies (n = 24) found Caphosol(®) to be efficacious at reducing the grade and/or duration, as well as pain associated with OM. Despite important limitations, these data warrant serious consideration for the inclusion of Caphosol(®) in regimens for preventing or reducing the debilitating effects of OM.
Keywords: Caphosol; calcium phosphate rinse; chemotherapy; mucositis; oral mucositis; radiotherapy.
© 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.