What happens if mouth sores become severe?

If your mouth sores progress, they can become severe and cause other complications. Sometimes these complications become so severe that you have to stop your cancer treatment temporarily.

Complications can include:

• Infection. Mouth sores offer a convenient way for germs to get into your body. Since cancer treatment can weaken your immune system, serious infection can result. Continue cleaning your teeth and mouth during and after treatment to reduce your risk of infection.

• Bleeding. Chemotherapy reduces your blood's ability to clot. Bleeding from your mouth can range from mild, with some spotting when you brush your teeth, to severe, with bleeding that's difficult to stop.

  When your mouth sores bleed, continue cleaning your mouth as best you can — even if that means just rinsing with water.

• Difficulty eating and swallowing. Painful mouth sores can make eating and drinking difficult. If eating small meals of soft foods isn't helping and you're quickly losing weight, your doctor may recommend a feeding tube to get you the nutrients you need.