Adverse intraoral effect from chemotherapy and radiation therapy is?

• A. Stomatitis & mucositis
• B. Candidiasis
• C. Gingival overgrowth
• D. Dental erosions

Answer: (A)

The main concept is that cancer treatments damage the rapidly dividing cells of the oral mucosa, leading to mucosal inflammation and ulceration. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy commonly cause mucositis and stomatitis, presenting as painful, inflamed or ulcerated oral tissues that can make eating, speaking, and swallowing difficult and raise infection risk. This is the hallmark intraoral adverse effect of these therapies.

Other options don’t fit as the primary effect: candidiasis can occur in immunosuppressed patients but isn’t the direct, defining intraoral injury of these treatments; gingival overgrowth is typically linked to certain medications (not standard chemo or radiation); dental erosions relate more to acid exposure and saliva changes rather than the immediate mucosal injury from cancer therapy.