Curcumin for Prevention of Oral Mucositis in Children Chemotherapy

Mucositis consists of inflammation of the mucosal membrane and is a prominent cause of patient discomfort during cancer therapy. In children receiving chemotherapy, the incidence of oral mucositis is reported to be between 40%-70%. Curcumin, a commonly-used spice in India and Southeast Asia, was shown in animal models to prevent chemotherapy and radiotherapy induced mucositis. We hypothesize that curcumin may prevent oral mucosal injury and reduce the severity of oral mucositis in children receiving chemotherapy. Thus, the aim of this study is to determine whether in children undergoing doxorubicin-containing chemotherapy, does supplementation of curcumin, when compared to placebo, decrease oral mucositis both by objective (mucositis scales) and subjective (pain scale) measurements. Effective prevention and reduction of mucosal injury may significantly improve the care we provide to children undergoing therapy for cancer.