# Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw

Source: https://onco.cc/terms/osteoradionecrosis/  
OnCo record `osteoradionecrosis` (Term). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Bone in the jaw that was in the path of radiotherapy for a head and neck cancer can lose its blood supply and break down, sometimes years later and often after a tooth is taken out. Dental treatment before radiotherapy and careful dental care afterwards lower the risk.

## Summary

The ISOO-MASCC-ASCO guideline (2024) addresses osteoradionecrosis of the jaw secondary to head and neck radiotherapy. From a systematic review of 80 studies, the panel rated its recommendations on best practices for prevention and on surgical management as evidence-based with strong evidence, relied on informal consensus elsewhere, made no recommendation on leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin or photobiomodulation for prevention, and judged hyperbaric oxygen for prevention or management largely unjustified. NCI PDQ (Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies) sets out the dental assessment before high-dose head and neck radiotherapy, scheduled as early as possible so that any extractions can heal before treatment, and lists monitoring for osteoradionecrosis among the follow-up tasks. Medication-related osteonecrosis of the jaw is defined to exclude people who have had radiotherapy to the jaws.

## Fields

- Kind: Term
- Last checked: 2026-11-11
- Also known as: ORN; Osteoradionecrosis; Radiation osteonecrosis; Jaw osteoradionecrosis
- Tags: supportive-care-gaps-2026-11

## Sources

- Peterson et al., Prevention and management of osteoradionecrosis in patients with head and neck cancer treated with radiation therapy: ISOO-MASCC-ASCO guideline (J Clin Oncol 2024): https://europepmc.org/article/MED/38691821
- NCI PDQ: Oral Complications of Cancer Therapies, health professional version: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/side-effects/mouth-throat/oral-complications-hp-pdq

## Connected records

- terms: [Late effects and survivorship toxicity](https://onco.cc/terms/late-effects/), [Osteonecrosis of the jaw (medication-related, MRONJ)](https://onco.cc/terms/medication-related-osteonecrosis-of-the-jaw/), [Radiotherapy](https://onco.cc/terms/radiotherapy/)
- cancers: [Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma](https://onco.cc/cancers/head-and-neck/)

---
JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/osteoradionecrosis.json