Oral mucositis
Oral mucositis is a painful inflammatory and ulcerative condition of the oral mucosa that commonly arises as an adverse effect of cancer therapy, especially chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including (chemo)radiotherapy for head and neck cancer.
Oral mucositis is a painful inflammatory and ulcerative condition of the oral mucosa that commonly arises as an adverse effect of cancer therapy, especially chemotherapy and radiotherapy, including (chemo)radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. It can impair eating, drinking, oral hygiene, and overall quality of life, and in severe cases may require treatment modification or supportive care interventions. In oncology settings, oral mucositis is often discussed as a clinically significant toxicity because of its impact on nutrition, pain, infection risk, and treatment tolerance.
Biologically, oral mucositis reflects injury to the oral epithelium and underlying mucosa, with associated inflammation, tissue breakdown, and pain. Recent research contexts also connect it with oral dryness and salivary inflammatory mediators during chemotherapy, suggesting that mucosal injury may occur alongside broader changes in the oral environment. Because of its multifactorial pathogenesis and symptom burden, oral mucositis is a major target for supportive care strategies, including photobiomodulation and local barrier or analgesic formulations.
Where the papers sit
11 papers from the last 6 months study oral mucositis directly · updated from PubMed 1 Nov 2026
Study type 6 clinical trials · 3 observational · 1 human data · 1 preclinical
Themes 3 themes · 1 new direction
-
Supportive Mucosal Healing
Clinical prevention and healing remain the focus, but approaches range from exosome-based wound repair to photobiomodulation and ozonated water. Photobiomodulation is tested for mucositis prevention and physical function after transplantation, while ozonated water is evaluated after radiotherapy. Exosome work shifts attention toward stromal-cell effects on epithelial repair. Retrospective data and concerns about abstract reporting mean that no single intervention has emerged.
4 papers · 36.4%
-
Head and Neck Photobiomodulation
Head and neck photobiomodulation is being refined through direct comparisons of intraoral and transcutaneous delivery. Randomized sham-controlled work evaluates mucositis and related complications, while clinical programs emphasize tolerability and discomfort. Pediatric and adult preference data address acceptance and perceived efficacy, not only lesion prevention. The field still lacks a clearly preferred protocol, leaving dose, route, and patient selection open.
4 papers · 36.4%
-
Methotrexate Mucositis Prevention
High-dose methotrexate mucositis prevention centers on supportive care in children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Oral cryotherapy and photobiomodulation recur, with studies testing whether intraoral and extraoral delivery are comparable. Photobiomodulation protocols are linked to quality-of-life outcomes as well as mucositis incidence. The main open question is whether either approach offers durable superiority across pediatric regimens.
3 papers · 27.3%
Oral mucositis becomes an object of evidence-quality auditing rather than only a complication to prevent or treat
The reporting-quality and spin study of randomized clinical-trial abstracts concerning benzydamine, photobiomodulation, oral cryotherapy, and keratinocyte growth factor found that the abstracts had low overall CONSORT-A reporting quality, frequently omitted study-design and outcome details, and commonly used spin; only two of the sixteen abstracts assessed for spin were free of it. Thus, oral mucositis is treated not simply as a treatment target or clinical outcome but as a case through which the reliability and presentation of its evidence base are evaluated, changing the implication from selecting among interventions to scrutinizing whether their reported results support evidence-based decisions 42860472Oct.
Papers
The 11 papers from the last 6 months that study oral mucositis directly, newest first, by theme and by study type. Study types come from PubMed publication types and MeSH headings.
By theme
Supportive Mucosal Healing (4)
- Ozonated water mouthrinse for radiation-induced oral mucositis in non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 16 Oct 2026 PMID 42886273
- Reporting quality and spin in abstracts of randomized clinical trials related to oral mucositis. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 11 Oct 2026 PMID 42860472
- Photobiomodulation to prevent oral mucositis and physical function impairments after hematopoietic cell transplantation: POMFITT randomized trial. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 3 Jul 2026 PMID 42399564
- Differential Wound Healing Potential of Tonsil Parenchymal and Epithelial Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Exosomes. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine · 9 Jun 2026 PMID 42262433
Head and Neck Photobiomodulation (4)
- Acceptance and perceived efficacy of intraoral versus extraoral photobiomodulation for oral mucositis prevention in pediatric patients. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 23 Sept 2026 PMID 42776303
- Comparative efficacy of two photobiomodulation protocols transcutaneous versus intraoral in the prevention of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer: a randomized study protocol. Lasers in medical science · 29 Jul 2026 PMID 42525285
- Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of an intraoral photobiomodulation device for oral mucositis and associated complications due to radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42360517
- Photobiomodulation therapy for oral mucositis: clinical experience from a supportive care program at the Indian Institute of Head and Neck Oncology. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 3 Jun 2026 PMID 42234177
Methotrexate Mucositis Prevention (3)
- Comparable efficacy of extraoral and intraoral photobiomodulation in preventing oral mucositis during high-dose methotrexate therapy in pediatric oncology: A single-blind randomized controlled trial. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 20 Oct 2026 PMID 42897331
- Effectiveness of oral cryotherapy in preventing methotrexate-induced oral mucositis in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a randomized controlled trial. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 14 Aug 2026 PMID 42599331
- Impact of oral mucositis treated by photobiomodulation protocol on the quality of life of pediatric oncology patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Lasers in medical science · 12 Jun 2026 PMID 42283739
By study type
Clinical trials (6)
- Comparable efficacy of extraoral and intraoral photobiomodulation in preventing oral mucositis during high-dose methotrexate therapy in pediatric oncology: A single-blind randomized controlled trial. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 20 Oct 2026 PMID 42897331
- Acceptance and perceived efficacy of intraoral versus extraoral photobiomodulation for oral mucositis prevention in pediatric patients. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 23 Sept 2026 PMID 42776303
- Effectiveness of oral cryotherapy in preventing methotrexate-induced oral mucositis in pediatric patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a randomized controlled trial. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 14 Aug 2026 PMID 42599331
- Comparative efficacy of two photobiomodulation protocols transcutaneous versus intraoral in the prevention of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer: a randomized study protocol. Lasers in medical science · 29 Jul 2026 PMID 42525285
- Photobiomodulation to prevent oral mucositis and physical function impairments after hematopoietic cell transplantation: POMFITT randomized trial. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 3 Jul 2026 PMID 42399564
- Randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial of an intraoral photobiomodulation device for oral mucositis and associated complications due to radiotherapy for head and neck cancer. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 26 Jun 2026 PMID 42360517
Observational studies and case reports (3)
- Ozonated water mouthrinse for radiation-induced oral mucositis in non-keratinizing nasopharyngeal carcinoma: a retrospective cohort study. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 16 Oct 2026 PMID 42886273
- Impact of oral mucositis treated by photobiomodulation protocol on the quality of life of pediatric oncology patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Lasers in medical science · 12 Jun 2026 PMID 42283739
- Photobiomodulation therapy for oral mucositis: clinical experience from a supportive care program at the Indian Institute of Head and Neck Oncology. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 3 Jun 2026 PMID 42234177
Human data, design not indexed (1)
- Reporting quality and spin in abstracts of randomized clinical trials related to oral mucositis. Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 11 Oct 2026 PMID 42860472
Preclinical: animal, cell and lab studies (1)
- Differential Wound Healing Potential of Tonsil Parenchymal and Epithelial Mesenchymal Stromal Cell-Derived Exosomes. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine · 9 Jun 2026 PMID 42262433
Written from 11 PubMed abstracts, each one listed by PMID above. Published: 2026-06-28. Last written: 2026-07-29 by GPT. Drafted by language models from published abstracts; not medical advice.