Treating A Common Side Effect Of Cancer Therapy (NAPSA)—Eachyear, millions of cancer patients successfully fight back against their disease with the help of chemotherapyand radiation therapy. But these treatments are not without potentially painful side effects. Fortunately, thanks to an advanced oral electrolyte solution, one of the most commonsideeffects can be overcome. Oral mucositis (OM) affects more than 400,000 cancer patients each year—approximately 40 per- SSS bie el> ee ol Caphos acnerenee A kind of oral solution has been shown to favorably impact both the incidence and severity of a common side effect of cancer cent of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy, more than 70 percent of those undergoing conditioning therapy for bone marrow transplantation, and virtually all therapies. apy for head and neck cancer. OM usually manifests itself within seven to 14 days after initiation of therapy. Initial signs and symptoms include redness, swelling and ulceration of the mucosa. The condition can cause mouth pain, xerostomia (dryness of the mouth or throat) and difficulty eating and drinking,as well as difficulty with speech; these effects can significantly impact a patient’s weight, mood and physical functioning. “This extremely debilitating condition results from erosion of epithelial cells in the oral cavity [cells lining the surface of the throat and esophagus] during therapy, and often causes severe pain, difficulty eating and swallowing and greater susceptibility to infection,” explains Marilyn L. Haas, Ph.D., RN, CNS, ANP-C, nurse CAPHOSOL is an advanced electrolyte solution that has a favorable impact on the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis. According to a recent study, low rates of OM were reported with CAPHOSOL treatment—morethan half (60 percent) of the patients did not develop OM, while only 20 percent developed Grade 1 (mild) OM and 15 percent developed Grade 2 OM. CAPHOSOL use also appeared to impact patients’ need for pain medication due to OM. Fifty-four percent of study participants did patients receiving radiation ther- practitioner, Mountain Radiation Oncology. “For cancer patients at high risk of oral mucositis, CAPHOSOL can be an important component of treatment.” not require pain medication, while 25 percent used opiates and 21 percent used nonopiate medications, including nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs. High levels of patient satisfaction were reported among CAPHOSOL users. For more information, visit www.caphosol.com or call (800) 833-3533.
