Oral microbiota versus oral mucositis during cancer treatment: a review

• Main Authors: Izabella Henrichs Ribeiro, Júlia Ferigatto, Dionéia Evangelista Cesar, Rodrigo Luiz Fabri, Ana Carolina Morais Apolônio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora 2020-04-01
• Series: HU Revista
• Subjects: Stomatites; Oral microbiota; Head and Neck Neoplams
• Online Access: https://periodicos.ufjf.br/index.php/hurevista/article/view/28995

Introduction: Oral microbiota has been implicated on oral mucositis (OM) that occurs during cancer therapy, however without consensus. Objective: This study, aimed to establish, through a review, the association between oral microbiota and OM at head and neck cancer therapy (HNCT). Material and methods: The search of PubMed was performed considering 2008-2018 period, and the descriptors “oral mucositis” and “oral microbiota” in subheadings etiology and microbiology into the Medical Subject Heading (MeSH) “Head and Neck Neoplasms”. The conducting question was “Is there an oral dysbiosis during HNCT associated with OM?”. Results: 22 articles were selected under two steps of data extraction: articles that evaluated de oral microbiota during HNCT (n=13), and articles that also focused in OM (n=9). Conclusion: The evidence presented in the literature suggests associations of oral microbiota dysbiosis with the progression and worsening of radiation-induced OM. However, to define a microbial core for the disease, future standardized studies are required.