This research is being carried out thanks to the award of a Fondecyt under the project title "Mucosal pellicle composition and their role in radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A longitudinal study".
School of Dentistry professor Maria Ines Gonzalez is investigating saliva and oral film samples in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) to correlate these protein biological data with the occurrence and severity of a side effect of cancer treatment, radiation therapy-induced oral mucositis (ROM).
"This is a serious complication that significantly affects the health and quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer. This condition is characterized by very painful ulcers in the oral cavity. The most severe cases may require hospitalization and/or constant visits to the doctor for treatment, which will delay and interrupt the oncological treatment."comments María Inés.
ROM not only generates extreme pain for the patient, but also makes it impossible to perform daily functions such as proper oral hygiene, ingesting solid food, causing weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, electrolyte imbalances and, in severe cases, the risk of presenting systemic infections, which aggravates the patient's condition and increases medical costs.
The UANDES Dentistry academic points out that "Currently, there is no effective treatment or preventive solution for ROM, which affects the majority of patients treated with radiotherapy. Management is limited to palliative care, focused on controlling pain, minimizing weight loss and ensuring adequate nutrition, which involves multiple visits to the physician. This side effect of cancer treatment generates a significant emotional, social and financial impact for patients and their families.".
This research is being carried out thanks to the award of a Fondecyt under the title of the project ".Mucosal pellicle composition and their role in radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A longitudinal study".
"The results we will obtain in this study represent a first step to identify possible predictive protein markers before starting IMRT, in order to determine the severity of ROM in patients with HNC and prevent its debilitating effects before the onset of symptoms. In addition, it collects data during oncologic treatment to assess real-time changes in this group of proteins.".
The researcher adds that "The results will allow us to identify patients at higher risk, personalize and modify cancer treatment on an individualized basis, and generate preventive care regimens. This approach will lay the foundation for reducing the severity and occurrence of ROM, significantly impacting patients' quality of life and adherence to treatment, increasing IMRT completion rates, which directly affects survival rate and cancer recurrence. In addition, it will significantly reduce the economic burden for both healthcare systems and patients.".