Role of hyaluronic acid in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis

Abstract

One of the earliest and most common adverse events of radiotherapy in patients with oropharyngeal cancers is mucositis. Radiation-induced mucositis significantly impairs the quality of life, patient compliance, and sometimes even long-term treatment outcomes. Currently, there is a wide range of drugs and techniques for the prevention and treatment of this complication. Nevertheless, these methods are not always highly effective and often have their own adverse events; therefore, the search for a universal method still continues. The present review aims to analyze the efficacy of hyaluronic acid in the prevention and treatment of oropharyngeal mucositis.

Keywords

• mucositis
• hyaluronic acid
• oral cavity
• oropharynx
• radiotherapy
• chemoradiotherapy