Acute Oropharyngeal Complications of Radiotherapy (RT)

Overview

A practical ENT-focused shift card for acute toxicities during head and neck radiotherapy and chemoradiotherapy: oral mucositis, odynophagia, xerostomia, Candida, HSV reactivation, nutritional collapse, dehydration, and the risk of treatment interruption. In these patients, the job is not merely to “treat a painful mouth.” The real task is to preserve oncologic treatment continuity, prevent early malnutrition, identify secondary infection, protect hydration, and recognize the rare moment when mucosal inflammation becomes a functional airway or swallowing threat.