OSTEORADIONECROSIS: CAUSES, CONSEQUENCES AND TREATMENT

Abstract

Head and neck tumors are the fifth type of cancer with the highest incidence in the world, and survival rates have not changed in recent years. Given the possible treatments for head and neck tumors, surgery and radiotherapy are the most used. Radiation therapy is used to destroy malignant cells, but it also affects normal cells, causing various harmful effects on tissues. Radiotherapy can present problems such as mucositis, xerostomia, radiation caries and the most serious consequence, osteoradionecrosis. This work aims to clarify, through a literature review, the determination of head and neck cancer, as well as its causes and treatment, and also to discuss osteoradionecrosis (ORN), which is a disease that can occur due to radiotherapy, this is done with equipment that emits radiation close to the patient, directed to a certain area to be treated. It is a beneficial therapy widely used to treat head and neck cancer.