Cryotherapy Device Could Save Over $15,000 per Chemotherapy Patient

The study, published in the Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research, utilizes a predictive model based on a 2025 randomized controlled trial to compare standard oral care against the use of the Chemo Mouthpiece. By inducing vasoconstriction in the oral cavity during infusion, the device limits mucosal injury, which frequently causes severe pain and treatment delays for cancer patients.

Researchers estimated that the device provides immediate fiscal relief, projecting savings of approximately $1,166 during a single chemotherapy cycle. Across a full six-cycle treatment schedule, these savings scale to $15,395 per patient. The analysis highlights that the primary driver of this cost reduction is a decrease in healthcare resource utilization, specifically fewer emergency room visits and shorter hospital stays related to complications from oral inflammation.

Dr. Richard Zuniga, lead author of the study and Medical Chief of Research at New York Cancer and Blood Specialists, noted that mitigating this side effect does more than lower costs; it supports treatment adherence. Because oral mucositis often forces clinicians to slow or interrupt cancer therapies, the device functions as both a clinical and an economic tool. Chemomouthpiece, LLC is currently engaging with national health plans and pharmacy benefit managers to expand insurance coverage for the device, which received FDA 510(k) clearance in 2024.