Aim of the studyThis study explores the efficacy of oral glutamine in the prevention of acute radiotherapy-induced esophagitis in patients with lung cancer who are treated with thoracic radiotherapy.Material and methodsThis study was planned as a retrospective randomized experimental study. Forty-six patients with lung cancer, who were treated and kept under control between January 2008 and January 2010, were included in the study by the Department of Radiation Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Dicle University. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group (n = 21) was given prophylactic oral powder glutamine (daily 30 g), while the second group (n = 25) was not given oral glutamine.ResultsThere were 21 patients in Group 1 (45.7%) and 25 patients in Group 2 (54.3%). No significant statistical difference was observed between the two groups in terms of age, gender, stage, histopathological type, treatment choice, received radiation doses, esophagus length in RT field, or location of the tumor (p > 0.05). A significant statistical difference was observed between the glutamine-supplemented group (first group) and the glutamine-free group (second group) according to the grade of esophagitis (p < 0.0001).ConclusionsIn our retrospective randomized experimental study, we determined that the severity of acute radiotherapy-induced esophagitis might be decreased with oral glutamine in patients with lung cancer who were treated with thoracic radiotherapy.

Multivariate analysis using a Cox-proportional hazards model was used to adjust for prognostic factors and to estimate hazard ratio (HR) with 95% confidence interval (CI). Results:There was no differences between the two tumour types in age, stage, pelvic nodal metastasis, parametrial invasion, surgical margin status, DSI, LVSI, maximal tumor diameter, grade, and treatment modalities. 5-year OS and DFS were 73% and 77%, versus 64% and 69%, for SCC and adenocarcinoma, respectively (p> 0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed independent prognostic factors including pelvic nodal metastasis and resection margin status for OS (p=0.008, p=0.002, respectively). Conclusions: Prognosis of FIGO stage IA-IIB cervical cancer patients was found to be the same for those with adenocarcinoma and SCC.

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The aim of the present study was to evaluate the radioprotective effects of melatonin on the biomechanical properties of bone in comparison to amifostine (WR-2721). Forty Sprague Dawley rats were divided equally into 5 groups namely; control (C), irradiation (R; single dose of 50 Gy), irradiation + WR-2721 (R + WR-2721; irradiation + 200 mg/kg WR-2721) radiation + melatonin 25 mg/kg (R + M25; irradiation + 25 mg/kg melatonin), and radiation + melatonin 50 mg/kg (R + M50; irradiation + 50 mg/kg melatonin). In order to measure extrinsic (organ-level mechanical properties of bone; the ultimate strength, deformation, stiffness, energy absorption capacity) and intrinsic (tissue-level mechanical properties of bone; ultimate stress, ultimate strain, elastic modulus, toughness) features of the bone, a three-point bending (TPB) test was performed for biomechanical evaluation. In addition, a bone mineral density (BMD) test was carried out. The BMD and extrinsic properties of the diaphyseal femur were found to be significantly higher in the R + M25 group than in group R (p < 0.05). A significant increase was observed in R + M50 (p < 0.05) in comparison to group R in the cross-sectional area of the femoral shaft and elastic modulus parameter. The protective effect of melatonin was similar to that of WR-2721. Thus, biomechanical quality of irradiated bone can be ameliorated by free radical scavenger melatonin.

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