The mucous membrane is the soft tissue layer lining the digestive system and when there is inflammation on this lining it causes mucositis. It is a condition of painful inflammation causing ulcer like growth on the digestive tract lining. Very often, this condition is caused as a side effect for people who undergo chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer.
Mucositis can occur in the mouth (oral mucositis), stomach (gastrointestinal mucositis) and anus. This condition is quite expected for patients who undergo hematopoietic stem cell transplantation therapy for cancer.
Causes :
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy given for treating cancer emit powerful rays to destroy the cancer causing cells. Meanwhile, they destroy the healthy cells of the DNA molecules present in the mucous membrane causing inflammation on the tract. It happens as a chain reaction. Initially the damaged cells give out some toxic molecules which in turn cause further damage to the neighboring cells. This continues and rapidly spreads to the entire lining of the mouth or abdomen. Very often, cancer patients will develop mucositis as a side effect of chemotherapy. However, if the cancerous cells are on the breast (breast cancer) there is no chance for chemotherapy to cause mucositis since the pathway is far out of reach from the mouth or stomach.
Just like chemotherapy, biological therapy would also damage the lining of mucus membrane causing mucositits.
Types :
Basically two types of mucositis are available. One is oral mucositis affecting the lining of mouth and esophagus and the other is gastrointestinal mucositis affecting the soft tissues of the digestive system.
Symptoms :