Products based on olive oil, betaine, and xylitol in the post-radiotherapy xerostomia.

AIM: The objective of this study was determining if the use of products based in olive oil, betaine and xylitol are efficacious to decrease the impact of the dry mouth in the quality of life of the patients with xerostomia due to radiotherapy treatment. BACKGROUND: Following therapeutic irradiation of the head and neck, patients with profound xerostomia have complaints associated with oral dryness, speech, and taste. There is no strong evidence that any topical therapy is effective for relieving the symptom of dry mouth. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 40 patients who had been treated with radiotherapy for head and neck carcinoma and reported symptoms of dry mouth were included in the study. A xerostomia-related quality of life questionnaire, visual analogue scale questionnaire for subjective assessment of salivary dysfunction and salivary flow were reported before and 15 days after the use of topical products based on olive oil, betaina and xylitol. RESULTS: The four primary quality of life areas demonstrated significantly greater improvement after the use of topical products and all eight VAS items had favourable changes. The reduction of symptoms was statistically significant in 7 of the 8 items. After the use of the products, there were improvements in salivary flow in 45%. CONCLUSIONS: The use of products based on olive oil, betaine and xylitol, shaped like collutory, toothpaste, gel and spray significantly improved most symptoms and the quality of life limitations produced by dry mouth in patients treated with radiotherapy.

Bystander effects and radiotherapy.

Radiation-induced bystander effects are defined as biological effects expressed after irradiation by cells whose nuclei have not been directly irradiated. These effects include DNA damage, chromosomal instability, mutation, and apoptosis. There is considerable evidence that ionizing radiation affects cells located near the site of irradiation, which respond individually and collectively as part of a large interconnected web. These bystander signals can alter the dynamic equilibrium between proliferation, apoptosis, quiescence or differentiation. The aim of this review is to examine the most important biological effects of this phenomenon with regard to areas of major interest in radiotherapy. Such aspects include radiation-induced bystander effects during the cell cycle under hypoxic conditions when administering fractionated modalities or combined radio-chemotherapy. Other relevant aspects include individual variation and genetics in toxicity of bystander factors and normal tissue collateral damage. In advanced radiotherapy techniques, such as intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), the high degree of dose conformity to the target volume reduces the dose and, therefore, the risk of complications, to normal tissues. However, significant doses can accumulate out-of-field due to photon scattering and this may impact cellular response in these regions. Protons may offer a solution to reduce out-of-field doses. The bystander effect has numerous associated phenomena, including adaptive response, genomic instability, and abscopal effects. Also, the bystander effect can influence radiation protection and oxidative stress. It is essential that we understand the mechanisms underlying the bystander effect in order to more accurately assess radiation risk and to evaluate protocols for cancer radiotherapy.

Current treatment of rectal cancer adapted to the individual patient.

Preoperative radiochemotherapy and total mesorectal excision surgery is a recommended standard therapy for patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. However, some subgroups of patients benefit more than others from this approach. In order to avoid long-term complications of radiation and chemotherapy, efforts are being made to subdivide T3N0 stage using advanced imaging techniques, and to analyze prognostic factors that help to define subgroup risk patients. Long-course radiochemotherapy has the potential of downsizing the tumor before surgery and may increase the chance of sphincter preservation in some patients. Short-course radiotherapy (SCRT), on the other hand, is a practical schedule that better suits patients with intermediated risk tumors, located far from the anal margin. SCRT is also increasingly being used among patients with disseminated disease, before resection of the rectal tumor. Improvements in radiation technique, such as keeping the irradiation target below S2/S3 junction, and the use of IMRT, can reduce the toxicity associated with radiation, specially long-term small bowel toxicity.