Joanna Dauncey and colleagues describe the findings of a study to evaluate the use of an oral rinse to prevent oral mucositis, which demonstrated significant improvements for patients’ quality of life

A prospective, multinational study conducted in the United States, Europe, Australia and Canada found the risk of oral mucositis to be as high as 99 per cent in patients with oral cavity or oropharynx tumours and 98 per cent in patients with tumours of the larynx or hypopharynx (Elting et al 2008), making careful management of oral mucositis necessary in nearly all head and neck cancer patients. At Musgrove Park Hospital in Taunton, the head and neck cancer team has prescribed a muco-adhesive oral rinse, MuGard, for the prevention and management of treatment-related oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. In the light of good reports on the efficacy of MuGard, the team conducted a pilot study to evaluate the benefits and outcomes of treatment with MuGard. The authors present their clinical experience with MuGard and recommendations for best practice on how nurses working with patients with head and neck cancer can use MuGard to manage oral mucositis and improve care.