The risk factors for oral mucositis and the effect of cryotherapy in patients after the BEAM and HD-l-PAM 200 mg/m2 autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PurposeOral mucositis (OM) still represents a significant complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantations (HSCT). Observational studies focusing on risk factor definitions are still warranted.MethodA total of 126 patients participated in this observational study after autologous HSCT with the BEAM and HD-l-PAM 200 mg/m2 conditioning regimens. Basic clinical and laboratory variables and their impact on OM were assessed.ResultsAge, gender, body mass index, and baseline absolute neutrophil counts were not shown to have any negative impact on OM development. The multivariate analysis revealed oral cryotherapy non-provision as being the most significant predictor for OM incidence (p < 0.0001), followed by BEAM conditioning regimen (p = 0.007), OM in a patient's history (p = 0.002) and lower number of days since the last chemotherapy (p = 0.025). The cryotherapy was remarkably effective both in the single high-dose melphalan 200 mg/m2 conditioning regimen (18% OM in cryotherapy vs. 68% without it, p < 0.0001) and in the multidrug BEAM (melphalan 140 mg/m2) regimen (38% vs. 86%, p = 0.006).ConclusionOral cryotherapy should be implemented into supportive care management in patients treated with high-dose melphalan short-infusion chemotherapy. Large and well-designed randomized trials are necessary to obtain more significant and reliable results and understanding regarding OM risk factors.