Publication: Randomized Trial of Vitamin C/E Complex for Prevention of Radiation- Induced Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer
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| Title | Randomized Trial of Vitamin C/E Complex for Prevention of Radiation- Induced Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer |
| Topic | Vitamin C, Vitamin E |
| Author | Chung, MK, Kim, DH, Ahn, YC, Choi, JY, Kim, EH, Son, YI |
| Year | 2016 |
| Journal | Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1177/0194599816642418 |
Author's Abstract The abstract and the information and conclusions contained therein were written by the authors of the publication.
| Objective. The present study was conducted to determine the preventive efficacy of vitamin C/E complex supplementation for radiotherapy (RT)–induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer.
Study Design. Prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Setting. A single tertiary referral institution. Subjects and Methods. The trial group (n = 25) received antioxidant supplements (100 IU of vitamin E 1 500 mg of vitamin C) twice per day during RT, while the control group (n = 20) received an identical placebo. Pre-RT and 1 and 6 months post-RT, patient-reported xerostomia questionnaires, observer-rated xerostomia score, and salivary scintigraphy were serially obtained to compare xerostomia severity between the 2 groups. Results. The trial group showed greater improvements in xerostomia questionnaire and score at 6 months post-RT when compared with those at 1 month post-RT (P = .007 and .008, respectively). In contrast, the control group showed no changes between 1 and 6 months post-RT. By salivary scintigraphy, there was no difference in maximal accumulation or ejection fraction between the 2 groups. However, the trial group maintained significantly better oral indices at the prestimulatory (P = .01) and poststimulatory (P = .009) stages at 1 month post-RT, compared with the control group. At the final follow-up, there was no difference in overall survival and disease-free survival between the 2 groups. Conclusions. Our data suggest that short-term supplementation with an antioxidant vitamin E/C complex exerts a protective effect against RT-induced xerostomia. |
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