Cryopreventive temperatures prior to chemotherapy

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Oral Medicine
• Clinical Trials

Background:

• Oral mucositis (OM) is a painful side effect of chemotherapy.
• Oral cryotherapy (OC) is a proven method for OM prevention.
• Optimal timing for initiating pre-infusion cooling in OC is not established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the time course of intraoral temperature reduction during OC.
• To identify when the lowest intraoral temperature is achieved for effective OM prevention.

Main Methods:

• A randomized crossover trial involving 20 healthy volunteers.
• Three 30-minute cooling sessions using ice chips (IC) and an intraoral cooling device (ICD) at 8°C and 15°C.
• Intraoral temperatures measured using thermography at 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 minutes.

Main Results:

• The most significant intraoral temperature drop occurred within the first 5 minutes of cooling for all methods.
• Ice chips (IC) demonstrated a statistically significant greater temperature reduction (1.4°C) compared to the ICD at 15°C.
• Continuous cooling over 30 minutes led to further temperature decreases of 3.1°C (IC), 2.2°C (ICD 8°C), and 1.7°C (ICD 15°C).

Conclusions:

• Rapid intraoral cooling is achieved within 5 minutes of initiating OC.
• Ice chips may offer a more pronounced initial cooling effect compared to certain intraoral cooling devices.
• Further research could optimize OC protocols for enhanced OM prevention.