RATIONALE: Chemoprotective agents may protect normal cells from the side effects of chemotherapy. Ice chips or saline mouth rinse may lessen the severity or help prevent symptoms of mucositis or mouth sores in patients receiving melphalan and autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma. It is not yet known whether ice chips are more effective than saline mouth rinse in reducing or preventing mucositis. PURPOSE: This randomized phase III trial is studying ice chips to see how well they work compared to saline mouth rinse in reducing or preventing mucositis in patients receiving melphalan and autologous stem cell transplant for multiple myeloma.
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