ABSTRACT
Objective : To evaluate the clinical usefulness of gargling with hangeshashinto (HST) for treatment of oral mucositis (OM) caused by sunitinib in patients with metastatic renal cancer. Patients and methods : The study included 22 patients with sunitinib-induced OM. Among them, 12 patients were instructed to gargle with 2.5 g of HST for 30 seconds after each meal, 3 times a day, and to refrain from eating and drinking afterward (gargling group). The remaining 10 patients were treated without gargling (non-gargling group). The changes in the following outcome measures after treatment were analyzed and compared between the two groups : the Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS), OM grade, body weight, albumin (Alb) levels, hemoglobin (Hb) levels, and eating status. Results : In the non-gargling group, the OM grade and eating status were not well improved, and KPS, body weight, Alb and Hb levels decreased. In the gargling group, despite a decrease in KPS, both OM grade and eating status improved from the day after the start of gargling, while no significant decreases were observed in body weight, Alb levels, or Hb levels after treatment. The gargling group showed better responses in all measures than the non-gargling group. Discussion : OM associated with cancer chemotherapy interferes with treatment completion. HST is a typical Kampo medicine belonging to the shashinto group, gargling with HST is also effective for treating OM. It appears that gargling with HST improves earlier stage of OM and eating status, thereby suppressing a decrease in KPS, body weight, Alb, and Hb levels.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>Objectives </b>: We examined effect of saireito for prevention and improvement of urethral strictures after transurethral resection of the prostate (TUR-P), also examining the utility of considering the saireito ‘pattern'.<br><b>Materials and Methods </b>: We evaluated 142 benign prostatic hyperplasia patients, and were randomly assigned to a saireito treatment group (3.0 gr. x 3 times per day 30 min. before meal, n = 70) and no treatment control group (n = 72).<br><b>Results </b>: 1) A statistically significant difference was observed in the occurrence of urethral stricture by saireito administration (p = 0.043, Chi-square test, Odds ratio : 0.12 [95% CI ; 0.01-0.95]. 2) For urethral strictures that occurred in the no treatment group, improvement of stricture in five cases was observed by saireito administration. 3) With either the appropriate administration or non-administration of saireito according to correct ‘pattern' diagnoses, the incidence of urethral stricture was significantly reduced (p = 0.042).<br><b>Discussion </b>: Administration of saireito after TUR-P is effective for preventing post-operative urethral stricture. It is also effective for confirmed strictures. Saireito administration is appropriate in patients with saireito ‘pattern' indications.</p>