Today in the OncoZine Brief, Peter Hofland, Ph.D and Sonia Portillo talk with Jim Ratcliff, CEO of Chairman of Rowpar Pharmaceuticals, the developer, manufacturer and marketer of best-in-class oral care products, sold under the CloSYS brand in Australia and the United States and under private label in Europe and India.

In their interview with Dr.Ratcliff, Hofland and Portillo ask about the importance of oral care – and the link with cancer.

Patients receiving treatment for cancer can experience a number of potential side effects in response to the treatment they receive. Most clinicians and patients are aware of the adverse events that can result from administration of certain chemotherapeutics.

Without offering a complete list of side effects, known side effects include fatigue, alopecia – which affects many patients and is probably one of the most disturbing side effects, sometimes preventing people from accepting or refusing treatments based on chemotherapy. Other adverse effects include:

- Sexual dysfunction, which can be the result of chemotherapy and radiation therapy and affecting about 60% to 80% of patients receiving chemotherapy.
- Thromobocytopenia or low platelet count can affect clotting and cause bleeding.
- The gastrointestinal problems, such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and constipation


And, one of the most serious side effects, cardiotoxicity, which can occur early or late in treatment. But one of the often forgotten side effects are cutaneous toxicities can include skin rash and mucositis.

Mucositis is also one of the common side - is the painful inflammation and ulceration of the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract and may include mouth sores often affecting food intake.