Effects of cryotherapy on high‐dose melphalan‐induced oral mucositis in pediatric patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation

Cryotherapy is a conventional method for preventing melphalan‐induced oral mucositis (OM) in adult patients. We retrospectively examined the clinical benefits of cryotherapy in 41 pediatric patients undergoing autologous stem cell transplantation using a melphalan‐etoposide‐carboplatin regimen. Twenty‐two patients received cryotherapy. The cumulative incidence of grade 3‐4 OM was significantly lower in the cryotherapy group (57.1%) than in the noncryotherapy group (89.5%; P = .041). Multivariate analyses identified cryotherapy and the melphalan dose as independent factors for the lower occurrence of OM. The present study demonstrates the clinically significant efficacy of cryotherapy for preventing melphalan‐induced OM in pediatric patients.