Evaluation of radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with nnasopharyngeal carcinomas

ABSTRACT

Salivary glands are extremely susceptible to radiation injuries. The aim of this study was to evaluate radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas, referring to Tabriz Imam Khomeini Hospital in 2005-2006. Thirty patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas, who received conventional radiotherapy, were included in the present study. The patients' unstimulated saliva samples were collected at three intervals, i.e. before treatment, 3 weeks after the initiation of treatment and at the end of treatment by spitting, and measured with a graduated pipette. The differences in the mean values of the patients' salivary flow rates at three afore-mentioned intervals were statistically significant [p < 0.001]. Two-by-two comparison of the mean values of salivary flow rates of all the patients and of males and females, carried out separately, demonstrated statistically significant differences [p < 0.0025]. However, there were no statistically significant differences between males and females before treatment [p = 0.723], 3 weeks after the initiation of treatment [p = 0.724] and at the end of treatment [p = 0.595]. There were no statistically significant relationships between age and a decrease in salivary flow rate in the total sample [p = 0.76, r = -0.057], in males [p = 0.96, r = 0.011] and in females [p = 0.539, r = -0.208]. Conventional radiotherapy results in severe xerostomia in 3 weeks in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinomas. Age and sex do not influence radiotherapy-induced xerostomia