Effect of Amifostine to prevent radiotherapy-induced acute and late toxicity in head and neck cancer patients who had normal or mild impaired salivary gland function.

Background: Amifostine has a potential role for salivary gland protection in head and neck cancer patients who had radiotherapy.

Material And Method: Sixty-seven head and neck cancer patients were randomized to receive radiotherapy or radiotherapy plus Amifostine. The efficacy of the treatment was determined by a questionnaire evaluating dryness of mouth and the oral comfort, the RTOG/EORTC acute/late radiation morbidity scoring criteria, collection of the whole saliva and the 99mTc-pertecnetate scintigraphy of the salivary glands.