Prevention of Oral Mucositis Induced by Chemoradiotherapy in Head-and-Neck Carcinoma Patients – A Comparative Study

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Radiation-induced mucositis is quite bothersome due to acute complications in patients receiving radiotherapy(RT) and even more pronounced with the combined chemoradiotherapy. Mucositis manifests itself as erythema, edema, orulceration that can be accompanied by a mild burning sensation.Aim: This study aims to compare the efficacy of oral glutamine in the prevention of chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositisin head-and-neck cancer patients.Materials and Methods: A total of 40 patients with malignancy confirmed in histopathology who were undergoing conventionalRT for head-and-neck cancer were divided into two groups, Group A receives oral glutamine 10 g in 1000 ml of water 2 h beforethe RT and Group B undergoes conventional RT. The outcome was measured in the 6th week of RT and 3rd week of post-RT.Results: Twenty-six patients (65%) had carcinoma of the oropharynx, while 14 patients (35%) had carcinoma of the larynx.In this study, 75% of patients in Group A and 85% of patients in Group B are in Stage IV cancers. Supplementation with oralglutamine before RT shown a significant reduction in incidence of mucositis compared to the control group. Post-RT, there wasa significant reduction in number mucositis cases in Group A than Group B.Conclusion: Oral glutamine decreased the incidence of chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis.