Effectiveness of prophylactic agents in prevention of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy

Main Article Content

Shukria M Al-Zahawi
Showan S Marouf
Hassan A M Al-Barzenji

Abstract

Background: Oral mucositis is regarded as one of the major complications of radiation therapy especially in patients with head and neck cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of glutamine in preventing or minimizing the development of mucositis of the oral cavity.
Subjects and methods: Forty-six participants were randomly selected amongst those who were planned to receive radiation therapy for head and neck region cancers. They were randomly divided into two groups of 23 subjects, one group received glutamine and the second group received a placebo.
Results: Glutamine had a statistically significant effect in reducing the occurrence and/or severity of oral mucositis in the treated patients compared to patients in the control group. Gender and age had no effect in the development or severity of oral mucositis in the studied patients.
Conclusions: It can be concluded that glutamine can be used effectively to prevent or minimize oral mucositis amongst cancer patients who receive radiation therapy.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

Section

Oral Diagnosis

How to Cite

1.
Al-Zahawi SM, Marouf SS, Al-Barzenji HAM. Effectiveness of prophylactic agents in prevention of oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy. J Bagh Coll Dent [Internet]. 2013 Dec. 15 [cited 2024 Dec. 22];25(4):56-9. Available from: https://jbcd.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/jbcd/article/view/170