Prevention of oral mucositis secondary to antineoplastic treatments in head and neck cancer by supplementation with oral glutamine.

Objectives: to evaluate the efficacy of glutamine in the prevention of the incidence of oral mucositis secondary to cancer therapies in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). Secondary objectives were to know the incidence of odynophagia, interruptions of treatment and the requirements of analgesia and nasogastric tube.

Material And Methods: prospective cohort study of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of HNC treated with radiotherapy ± concomitant chemotherapy.

Double-blind, randomized pilot study of bioadhesive chlorhexidine gel in the prevention and treatment of mucositis induced by chemoradiotherapy of head and neck cancer.

Background: to evaluate, in an initial way, the effectiveness of bioadhesive chlorhexidine gel 0.2% versus placebo as a preventive and therapeutic intervention of oral mucositis induced by radiation therapy and chemotherapy in patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy.

Material And Methods: In this pilot study, 7 patients (range of age: 18- 65), having histological documented diagnosis of squamous carcinoma on the head and neck region in stage III and IV, and receiving combined radiation treatment and chemotherapy (cisplatin 100 mg/m2 IV on days 1, 22, and 43 of irradiation) were studied.