Kan mundskyl med hvid te forebygge oral mucositis hos patienter med brystkræft?

Resumé
Baggrund
Mundgener er en kendt bivirkning til kemoterapi med beskadigelse af mundslimhinden. Oral mucositis kan blandt andet forårsage øm mund, mundtørhed, smerter, smagsforandringer, blødning og infektion, som kan føre til nedsat fødeindtag og dermed påvirke patientens ernæringstilstand og velvære.
Formål
Formålet var at undersøge, om hvid te i højere grad forebygger mucositis end standard mundpleje med skylning med salt/natron hos patienter.
Design
Studiet blev gennemført som et randomiseret kontrolleret interventionsstudie i Onkologisk Ambulatorium, Sygehus Lillebælt.
Metode
Otteogfirs patienter i kemoterapibehandling med paclitaxel for brystkræft blev inkluderet i perioden august 2020 til marts 2023. I interventionsgruppen deltog 44 patienter og i kontrolgruppen deltog 44 patienter. Data blev analyseret med kvantitativ analyse.
Resultater
Studiet viste, at der ikke var forskel mellem deltagerne, der skyllede munden med hvid te sammenlignet med dem, der anvendte salt/natron. Smertescoren i mundhulen for både interventions- og kontrolgruppen forblev ≤ 3 fra baseline og frem til 9. followup.
Konklusion
Der er ikke forskel mellem brug af hvid te og standard mundpleje med salt/natron til forebyggelse af oral mucositis og smerte i mundhulen hos kvinder i behandling for brystkræft med paclitaxel. Yderligere forskning er nødvendig for at identificere effektive metoder til at forbygge oral mucositis.

English abstract

Can mouth rinses with white tea prevent oral mucositis in patients with breast cancer?

Background
Oral discomfort is a well‑known side effect of chemotherapy due to damage to the oral mucosa. Oral mucositis may cause a sore mouth, dry mouth, pain, taste changes, bleeding and infection, which can lead to reduced food intake and thereby affect patients’ nutritional status and well‑being.
Aim
The aim was to investigate whether white tea is more effective than standard oral care with saline/bicarbonate rinses in preventing oral mucositis in patients receiving chemotherapy.
Design
The study was conducted as a randomised controlled intervention trial in the Oncology Outpatient Clinic at Sygehus Lillebælt.
Method
Eighty‑eight patients receiving paclitaxel chemotherapy for breast cancer were included between August 2020 and March 2023. The intervention group comprised 44 patients and the control group 44 patients. Data were analysed using quantitative methods.
Results
The study showed no difference between participants who rinsed their mouths with white tea and those who used saline/bicarbonate. The oral pain score for both the intervention and control groups remained ≤ 3 from baseline through the ninth follow‑up.
Conclusion
There was no difference between white tea and standard oral care with saline/bicarbonate in preventing oral mucositis and oral pain in women receiving paclitaxel for breast cancer. Further research is needed to identify effective methods for preventing oral mucositis.

Keywords: Oral mucositis, white tea, breast cancer, paclitaxel, chemotherapy side effects, randomised controlled trial.