The Preventing Chemotherapy Induced Oral Mucositis Project in Chiang Mai Hospital, Thailand

Oral mucositis makes the patients with cancer of the female reproductive system experience both physical and mental sufferings as well as changing social interaction. The patients have oral pains and problems in chewing and swallowing food (Cella et al., 2003). As a result, the patients’ intake of nutrients and fluid is insufficient for physical needs; causing weariness and fatigue, and also increasing emotional imbalance, e.g. being irritated and short-tempered (Dodd et al., 2001). Oral mucositis also influences the treatment in that it causes the treatment to delay and the dosage is to be reduced in order to allow the oral mucositis to resume its normal condition. The patients then need additional treatments, both for analgesic administration and supplemental nutrient feeding (Sonis, Oster, & Fuchs, 2001). According to data collection from January-December 2007 on incidence of oral mucositis in the chemotherapeutic patients with cancer of female reproductive system in the Gynecological Ward 2, Maharaj Nakorn Chiang Mai Hospital, it was found that 22.00% of these chemotherapeutic patients suffered from oral