CE courses
The online hub for digital CME and CE courses
The Forum
The ONA Forum consultants answer your questions
Side effect management
View articles about patient-focused care
- ONA >
- Oral mucositis
Oral mucositis
Minor Apthous Ulcer
Minor aphthous ulcers like the one shown here, affect about 20% of the population. They can be caused by hypersensitive reactions to haemolytic streptococcus bacteria, minor injuries, acute stress and allergies. Analgesic mouth gels or mouthwashes are used to ease the pain. Ulcers tend to heal by th...
Apthous Ulcer
Apthous ulcers, like the one above, are painful open sores on the mucous membrane lining the mouth. Often there is no known cause. This woman pictured had been taking the drug methotrexate to treat rheumatoid arthritis, although it is not clear if the drug played a part in the development of the ulc...
Ulcerative Gingivitis
Ulcerative gingivitis is caused when plaque builds up due to poor dental hygiene. The gums can become inflamed with ulcers, as shown here. Photo credit: Biophoto Associates / Photo Researchers, Inc.
Candidiasis of the Tongue
Superficial infections of the skin and mucosal membranes by Candida causing local inflammation and discomfort are common. Most candidial infections are treatable and result in minimal complications such as redness, itching and discomfort, though complication may be severe or fatal if left untreated ...
Hyperplasia of the Upper Gums
Hyperplasia of the upper gums is a consequence of long-term use of the drug phenytoin, prescribed to treat epilepsy. Overactive growth of the gums is a recognized side effect. Phenytoin is an anticonvulsant that reduces the severity of seizures in grand mal epilepsy. Photo credit: SPL / Photo Resear...
Black Hairy Tongue
Black hairy tongue, as shown above on a 2-year-old boy, occurs when the filiform papillae that cover the tongue become enlarged and overgrown with fungi. The cause is not known, but may be due to poor oral hygiene or antibiotic use. Treatment is with thorough cleaning of the tongue and mouth with an...
Oral Cancer
Oral cancer most commonly involves the tissue of the lips or the tongue, and begins as a white plaque or mouth ulcer. Most look very similar under the microscope and are called squamous cell carcinomas. These are malignant and tend to spread rapidly. Smoking and other tobacco use are associated with...
Drug Causes
These chemotherapy agents are known to cause mucositis.More than 40% of patients undergoing chemotherapy develop some degree of mucositis during the course of their treatment. Patients receiving radiation to the head, neck, or chest areas and patients who undergo bone marrow or stem cell transplant are even more likely to develop mucositis. Incidence of mucositis is higher with certain chemotherapy or total body irradiation, which is often used for bone marrow transplants.
Latest Slideshows
ONA Articles
- Evaluating Harm Scores in Incident Reporting Key to Improving Patient Safety
- Preventing Catheter-Associated UTIs Goal of Comprehensive Education Program
- Oral Electrolyte Replacement as Effective as IV Replacement in Adult Oncology Population
- Full Clinical Benefits of Regorafenib in mCRC Attainable When AEs Are Proactively Managed
- What happens during a NIOSH HHE of an oncology clinic?
- Variability in breast cancer not a barrier for predictive testing
- IMRT offers no significant benefit over CRT following prostatectomy
- NLST: Low-dose helical CT preferable for early lung cancer detection
- Late recurrence in estrogen-positive breast cancer predicted by genetic and clinical factors
- Social ties improve physical symptoms after breast cancer diagnosis
Regimen and Drug Listings
GET FULL LISTINGS OF TREATMENT Regimens and Drug INFORMATION
| Bone Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Brain Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Breast Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Endocrine Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Gastrointestinal Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Genitourinary Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Gynecologic Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Head and Neck Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Hematologic Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Lung Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |
| Other Cancers | Regimens | |
| Rare Cancers | Regimens | |
| Skin Cancer | Regimens | Drugs |