@article {MASSARO837, author = {PATRIZIA MASSARO and FRANCO CORBELLA and RICCARDO DI LIBERTO and ALESSANDRO PAOLINI and FRANCESCA PASI and CARMINE TINELLI and ANNALISA DE SILVESTRI and ROSANNA NANO}, title = {Late Oral Mucosa Alterations After Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer Assessed by Exfoliative Cytology}, volume = {34}, number = {2}, pages = {837--844}, year = {2014}, publisher = {International Institute of Anticancer Research}, abstract = {Aim: Late oral mucosa changes after radiotherapy for head and neck cancer have been poorly studied. This study aimed to determine long-term effects of radiotherapy on oral mucosa using exfoliative oral cytology. Patients and Methods: Fifty patients with cancer were enrolled, five of whom in order to validate microscopic analysis. Smears were collected at programmed visit; a score was used to rank possible cytological alterations. Presence of inflammation was also microscopically described and compared to blood count tests. Results: Epithelial cells revealed a peculiar {\textquoteleft}folding{\textquoteright} phenotype, not related to chemotherapy, total dose, or to the effective dose delivered to mucosa. Inflammation described was related to the score for {\textquoteleft}folding{\textquoteright} cells; moreover, score decreased in the presence of a higher lymphocyte count, while it was not altered by neutrophil count. Conclusion: We suggest application of exfoliative cytology to study radiation injury and the variability of individual response of oral mucosa to radiation.}, issn = {0250-7005}, URL = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/2/837}, eprint = {https://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/2/837.full.pdf}, journal = {Anticancer Research} }