How to deal with stomatitis caused by everolimus use?

Everolimus is a cancer drug that effectively slows the spread of cancer cells in the body by interfering with their growth. This drug is mainly used to treat certain types of kidney cancer, breast cancer or brain tumors, but it is also effective in advanced or progressive tumors of the stomach, intestines or pancreas. In addition, everolimus is used to treat certain types of seizures or noncancerous (benign) brain or kidney tumors in people with tuberous sclerosis. However, patients using everolimus may experience some side effects, the most common and prominent of which is stomatitis.

Stomatitis is a common adverse reaction during everolimus treatment, which manifests as inflammatory reactions or ulcers in the oral cavity, labial mucosa, or tongue mucosa, accompanied by local pain or dysphagia. This side effect usually appears in the first month of taking the drug, but its duration is short, and its incidence does not continue to increase as the treatment time is extended.

To deal with stomatitis caused by everolimus, preventive measures should be taken first. When taking medicine, patients should swallow it as quickly as possible to shorten the time the medicine stays in the mouth and reduce the contact between the tablet and the oral mucosa. In addition, using preventive mouthwash is also an effective method. However, it should be noted that mouthwash containing alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, iodine or thyme should be avoided. These ingredients may irritate the oral mucosa and aggravate inflammation. When symptoms of stomatitis appear, patients should keep their oral cavity clean, choose a soft-bristled toothbrush and mild toothpaste, and avoid spicy, sweet and sour foods. If the symptoms are severe, such as oral ulcers that are large in area or accompanied by obvious pain, you should seek medical treatment in time. Your doctor may prescribe steroid mouthwash or other medications to relieve symptoms and speed up the repair of the oral mucosa.

In short, although everolimus has significant efficacy in treating cancer, patients need to pay attention to its possible side effects during use, especially stomatitis. Through reasonable prevention and response measures, the symptoms of stomatitis can be alleviated and the quality of life of patients can be improved. In case of any discomfort, it is very important to communicate with your doctor promptly and seek professional medical advice.