Occurrence and Severity of Oral Mucositis in Brazilian Pediatric Cancer Patients

Objective: To determine the occurrence and severity of oral mucositis (OM) and the factors associated with the onset of severe oral mucositis (SOM) in pediatric cancer patients. Material and Methods: This was a longitudinal and prospective study with 85 children and adolescents (aged 0 to 19 years) admitted to the Pediatric Oncology Sector of Napoleão Laureano Hospital between November 2016 and July 2019. The patients’ sociodemographic and epidemiological information, as well as hematological and biochemical parameters, were obtained from their medical charts. The oral mucosa of study participants was assessed through the modified Oral Assessment Guide (OAG) at baseline and after the 2nd, 5th and 10th week of antineoplastic treatment. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test to determine the factors associated with the occurrence of SOM (p