Oral Mucosa in Cancer Patients—Putting the Pieces Together - A Narrative Review and New Perspectives

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle

Oral mucosa plays a central role in cancer patients and throughout cancer therapy, with increasing attention driven by both the rising cancer burden and treatment side effects. Oral mucositis is described as a severe, debilitating complication linked to early chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy toxicity, potentially limiting treatment success and affecting survival. Predictive factors for who is affected and severity remain unclear, while mucositis also contributes to substantial economic strain on patients, families, and health institutions. The review synthesizes new perspectives to clarify biomolecular mechanisms and improve management strategies.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages14

Reading Time35 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Oral Mucosa and the Barrier Function

cancers Review Oral Mucosa in Cancer Patients—Putting the Pieces Together: A Narrative Review and New Perspectives Jose Manuel Reuss 1, Laura Alonso-Gamo 2, Mariola Garcia-Aranda 3, Debora Reuss 4, Manuel Albi 5, Beatriz Albi 6, Debora Vilaboa 7 and Beatriz Vilaboa 8, * Citation: Reuss, J.M.; Alonso-Gamo, L.; Garcia-Aranda, M.; Reuss, D.; Albi, M.; Albi, B.; Vilaboa, D.; Vilaboa, B. Oral Mucosa in Cancer Patients—Putting the Pieces Together: A Narrative Review and New Perspectives. Cancers 2023, 15, 3295 . [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)cancers15133295 Academic Editor: Lorenzo Lo Muzio Received: 31 May 2023 Revised: 15 June 2023 Accepted: 18 June 2023 Published: 22 June 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of Postgraduate Prosthodontics, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain 2 Department of Pediatrics, Hospital Infanta Cristina, 28981 Madrid, Spain 3 Centro Integral Oncolâgico Clara Campal, Department of Oncologic Radiotherapy, Hospital Universitario Sanchinarro, 28050 Madrid, Spain 4 Lecturer Dental School, Universidad San Pablo CEU, 28003 Madrid, Spain 5 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Quironsalud Group Public Hospitals, 28223 Madrid, Spain 6 Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Universitario Fundaciân Jim²nez D½az, 28040 Madrid, Spain 7 Aesthetic Dentistry Department, Universidad San Pablo CEU, 28003 Madrid, Spain 8 Cl½nica Vilaboa, 28001 Madrid, Spain * Correspondence: beatriz@clinicavilaboa.es Simple Summary: The oral mucosa, as part of human mucosa, is an essential part of the oral cavity. It is the ﬁrst natural barrier against the intrusion of newcomers and a habitat for the oral microbiome. As such, it is receiving ever-increasing interest in clinical and translational research. However, it isin the ﬁeld of cancer treatment and its toxicity wherein oral mucosa has a prominent role, as oral mucositis is one of the most debilitating cancer treatment complications and a notorious source of worry for oncologists and poor quality of life for cancer patients. This narrative review focuses on the entangled implications of human oral mucosa in cancer and, speciﬁcally, in the development of cancer-related oral mucositis support strategies. Abstract: The oral mucosa is a key player in cancer patients and during cancer treatment. The increasing prevalence of cancer and cancer-therapy-associated side effects are behind the major role that oral mucosa plays in oncological patients. Oral mucositis is a debilitating severe complication caused by the early toxicity of chemo and/or radiotherapy that can restrict treatment outcome possibilities, even challenging a patient's survival. It has been referred to as the most feared cancer treatment complication. Predictive variables as to who will be affected, and to what extent, are still unclear. Additionally, oral mucositis is one of the sources of the increasing economic burden of cancer, not only for patients and their families but also for institutions and governments. All efforts should be implemented in the search for new approaches to minimize the apparently ineluctable outburst of oral mucositis during cancer treatment. New perspectives derived from different approaches to explaining the interrelation between oral mucositis and the oral microbiome or the similarities with genitourinary mucosa may help elucidate the biomolecular pathways and mechanisms behind oral mucosa cancer-therapy-related toxicity, and what is more important is its management in order to minimize treatment side effects and provide enhanced cancer

FAQs

What is oral mucositis and why is it important in cancer care?

Oral mucositis is a debilitating severe complication caused by early toxicity from chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. It can restrict treatment outcomes and is considered one of the most feared cancer treatment complications.

Which factors are responsible for oral mucosa barrier disruption?

The mucosa barrier can be disrupted by food-related end metabolites and allergens, alcohol, therapeutic agents, inadequate oral hygiene, and infectious challenges such as bacteria, virus, and fungi.

Why are new approaches and perspectives being pursued?

Efforts are needed to reduce the apparently inevitable onset of oral mucositis during cancer treatment. New perspectives aim to clarify the links between oral mucositis and the oral microbiome and to improve biomolecular understanding and management.

Sep 24, 2026

Uploaded by Kyle