Abstract

Mucositis is an adverse event that occurs in 65% of patients receiving radiotherapy for head and neck tumors. Grade 3 or 4 (CTCAE) adverse events occur in about 11% of patients, and oncological treatment should be discontinued as it limits feeding and puts life at risk. To date, there is no universal care protocol to prevent this complication, so the use of toothpaste enriched with spirulina is proposed to prevent severe mucositis as well as a faster recovery. Three cases of tongue cancer with bioradiotherapy are presented, in which patients are instructed regarding oral hygiene, using toothpaste with spirulina, maintaining biofilm control and elimination of irritants in the oral cavity. Although all of them had grade 3 mucositis, with the presence of xerostomia, ulcerations and pain, which led them to change their usual diet to a soft diet, the toothpaste provided a feeling of relief. In no case was any radiotherapy or cetuximab session suspended, achieving a favorable recovery.

Keywords

lingual cáncer, oral mucositis, spirulina, arthrospira