口腔問題：口乾、唾液減少，治療中的隱形負擔

超過三分之一的癌症患者在接受治療期間會出現口腔問題，其中口乾和唾液減少是最常見的副作用之一 (National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, 2023)。唾液分泌減少會導致口腔環境失衡，增加生物膜形成的風險。生物膜是由細菌、真菌等微生物聚集形成的薄膜，附著在牙齒、牙齦和口腔黏膜表面，是引發蛀牙、牙齦炎、口腔黏膜炎等口腔問題的元兇 (Marsh PD. 2006)。

■營養不良: 口腔疼痛、味覺改變和進食困難會導致患者營養攝取不足，影響治療效果和恢復速度 (Sonis ST, 2004)。

■感染風險增加: 口腔黏膜破損和唾液減少會增加細菌、病毒和真菌感染的風險，嚴重時可能導致全身性感染 (來源: Peterson DE, et al. 2006)。

■治療中斷: 嚴重的口腔問題可能迫使醫生暫停或調整癌症治療方案，影響治療效果 (來源: Lalla RV, et al. 2014)。

National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. (2023). Oral Complications of Cancer Treatment: What To Do About Them. Retrieved from https://www.nidcr.nih.gov/health-info/cancer-treatments

Jensen SB, et al. (2010). A systematic review of salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia induced by cancer therapies: prevalence, severity and impact on quality of life. Support Care Cancer. 18(8): 1039-60.

Marsh PD. (2006). Dental plaque as a biofilm and a microbial community – implications for health and disease. BMC Oral Health. 6 Suppl 1: S14.

Sonis ST. (2004). Oral mucositis in cancer therapy. J Support Oncol. 2(6 Suppl 3): 3-8.

Peterson DE, et al. (2006). Oral mucositis in cancer therapy. J Support Oncol. 4(2 Suppl 1): 9-13.

Lalla RV, et al. (2014). MASCC/ISOO clinical practice guidelines for the management of mucositis secondary to cancer therapy. Cancer. 120(10): 1453-61.