Understanding the Problem

Cancer treatment can often result in problems with your mouth and throat. These may include:

• Soreness
• Dryness
• Mouth sores
• Ulcers
• Infection

These problems may clear up without any treatment. Some may require treatment. They may mean your cancer treatment needs to be stopped or delayed.

The tips below may help you deal with mouth soreness that may occur during treatment.

How to Keep Your Mouth as Healthy as Possible

• Examine your mouth daily
• Use a flashlight and look in your mouth while standing in front of a mirror
• Look for any ulcers, pimples, sores, areas of redness, white patches, or blood
• Report these changes and any mouth pain to your health care provider
• Keep your mouth clean and moist
• Brush your teeth, gums, and tongue. Using a soft toothbrush (we suggest a child's toothbrush), gently brush your teeth, gums, and tongue. You may use your regular toothpaste, salt, or soda. Some people like to use a water pick, but if you do, use only the weakest setting
• After brushing or swabbing, gargle with salt water
• Mix ¼ teaspoon of salt in 1 cup of warm water. Swish it around your mouth and for a couple of minutes before spitting it out. Do this even if you do not have any problems, because gargling will further clean your mouth and help toughen the tissues
• If you wear dentures, remove them and brush them as described above. Do not wear dentures that do not fit well. Contact your dentist to have them adjusted or realigned. Do not wear your dentures at night
• Apply lubricant to your lips every two hours while you are awake. Possible lubricants are Chapstick®, Blistex® or Vaseline®.

Symptoms to Report to Your Health Care Provider

• Redness, soreness
• Cracks, ulcers, blisters, white patches, bleeding
• Difficulty swallowing
• Temperature greater than 100.5 ° F

Ways to Help Ease Mouth Problems

• Continue to clean your teeth and mouth as before even though your mouth is sore
  • If it hurts to use a soft brush, use an oral swab (cleaning stick with a soft sponge tip)
• Keep your dentures in only during meals
• Drink plenty of fluids and suck on ice chips
• Eat soft foods or moisten food in coffee, tea, milk, or soup. Use gravies to soften food
• Use a blender to liquefy foods and drink from a cup or use a straw
• Use a topical ointment such as viscous lidocaine. This can be applied directly to the sore or swished around in the mouth and swallowed. Other mouthwashes may be ordered such as Magic Mouthwash
• Pain medicines may be prescribed. Take an hour before eating or drinking. If your pain is constant, take the medicine at regular times around the clock. Tylenol® is available in a liquid form

Things to Avoid to Further Irritate Mouth Sores

• Lemon and glycerin swabs
• Mouthwashes that contain more than 6 percent alcohol
• Foods that are hot spicy, or acidic
• Smoking or chewing tobacco
• Excessive alcohol

Call your health care provider if you have any of the following:

• You are having so much difficulty eating, drinking, or swallowing that you are taking in little food and water. This can result in dehydration
• If pain is not relieved, ask your physician for something stronger
• Fever of 100.5° F persists

This article is intended as a resource for patients receiving their cancer care at Duke University Hospital or Duke Clinic. It is not intended to substitute for medical advice from your healthcare team. If your doctor’s instructions differ from the information in this article, please talk with your doctor before making any changes.

11/05