Oral Complications of Radiotherapy in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: A Review of the Main Impacts

Abstract

This article attempts to review the main impacts of oral complications related to radiotherapy in a patient undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer, reporting how these complications directly affect the quality of life of patients. Some potential side effects of treatment are mucositis, xerostomia, dysgeusia, and changes in the oral microbiome, which can cause a condition of modified functions, such as dysarthria, dysphagia, and odynophagia, on which the physical, emotional, and social well-being of the patient depends. The following databases were consulted: PubMed, SciELO, and Google Scholar. The search was carried out considering articles published in the period 2014-2024 and descriptors such as "head and neck cancer", "radiotherapy", and "oral complications". A recent review found that “intensity-modulated radiotherapy is a substantial advance due to reduced gland exposure, which minimizes the incidence of xerostomia and better preserves salivary function” compared to previous two-dimensional radiotherapy or compared to three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy (Wang & Eisbruch, 2016; Castelli et al., 2023). Agents and techniques that are potentially capable of protecting against mucositis and protecting oral structures during radiotherapy include conditions such as the use of glutamine and intraoral protection devices such as stents. This highlights the role of an interdisciplinary team in the evaluation and management of such complications, allowing interventions that increase comfort and adherence to treatment. It can be concluded that the high technological level of treatment combined with continuous support from specialists will reduce the oral sequelae of radiotherapy to the lowest possible level and will become a significant factor in high quality of life and better patient adherence to cancer treatment.