Management of radiation therapy-induced mucositis in head and neck cancer patients. Part II: supportive treatments

Abstract

Oropharyngeal mucositis is the acute inflammatory and ulcerative reaction of the oral mucosa following radiation therapy to the head and neck region. It is such a common problem that nearly all head and neck cancer patients develop some degree of mucositis. This complication is usually transient in nature but it also represents an important clinical problem as it is a painful, debilitating, dose-dependent side effect for which there is no widely acceptable prophylaxis or effective treatment. As several authoritative groups have recently either undertaken systematic reviews or issued guidelines on the management of mucositis, it is the aim of this review instead, to provide an overview of all the remedies and pharmaceutical agents available, as well as highlighting to researchers the gaps that need to be filled.

Troxerutin Prevents 5-Fluorouracil Induced Morphological Changes in the Intestinal Mucosa: Role of Cyclooxygenase-2 Pathway

“…Troxerutin (TRX) is a semi-synthetic flavonoid, derived from rutin, which is extracted from Dimorphandra gardneriana. This compound has various pharmacological activities, including antioxidant [17][18][19], anti-inflammatory [20], anti-apoptotic [21,22], and antiedematogenic [23,24]. Further, it is a potent therapeutic agent for neuropathic pain [25].…”

Natural Products for Management of Oral Mucositis Induced by Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy

“…These products have anti-inflammatory function and have been used as a remedy for untreatable foot sore and appeared to be effective in the prevention and treatment of chemotherapy-and radiotherapy-induced oral/oropharyngeal mucositis and especially in controlling symptoms. 75 Placentrex is a drug containing peptides (FNP-III, CRF), nucleotides (PDRN, NADPH), and glutamate and is derived from an extract of fresh term, healthy, and human placenta. Each milliliter contains 0.1 g fresh human placenta.…”