PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - PATRIZIA MASSARO AU - FRANCO CORBELLA AU - RICCARDO DI LIBERTO AU - ALESSANDRO PAOLINI AU - FRANCESCA PASI AU - CARMINE TINELLI AU - ANNALISA DE SILVESTRI AU - ROSANNA NANO TI - Late Oral Mucosa Alterations After Radiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer Assessed by Exfoliative Cytology DP - 2014 Feb 01 TA - Anticancer Research PG - 837--844 VI - 34 IP - 2 4099 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/2/837.short 4100 - http://ar.iiarjournals.org/content/34/2/837.full SO - Anticancer Res2014 Feb 01; 34 AB - 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 ‘folding’ phenotype, not related to chemotherapy, total dose, or to the effective dose delivered to mucosa. Inflammation described was related to the score for ‘folding’ 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.