Diagnosis and management of acute and chronic oral complications of nonsurgical cancer therapies.

This article has reviewed selected oral complications that can develop in the myelosuppressed or head and neck radiation cancer patient. Many of these complications can be prevented by treating diseased oral sites prior to initiation of cancer therapy. Further, cancer treatment often causes changes in oral tissues that require long-term management. The dentist thus can play an important role in the overall care of many cancer patients.