Non-Conventional Radiotherapy May Reduce Dry Mouth

Article

Parotid-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is less likely than conventional radiotherapy to result in dry mouth in patients treated for head and neck cancer, according to research published online Jan. 13 in The Lancet Oncology.

THURSDAY, Jan. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Parotid-sparing intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) is less likely than conventional radiotherapy to result in dry mouth in patients treated for head and neck cancer, according to research published online Jan. 13 in The Lancet Oncology.

Christopher M. Nutting, M.D., of the Royal Marsden Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust in London, and colleagues randomized 94 patients with pharyngeal squamous-cell carcinoma to IMRT or conventional radiotherapy to test their hypothesis that IMRT reduces the incidence of severe xerostomia.

The researchers found that, of the patients available for analysis at 12 months, 38 percent of those in the IMRT group reported grade 2 or worse xerostomia, compared with 74 percent of the conventional radiotherapy group. By 24 months, 29 percent of the IMRT group and 83 percent of the conventional radiotherapy group reported grade 2 or worse xerostomia. The IMRT group had a higher prevalence of grade 2 or worse fatigue, but there were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of non-xerostomia late toxicities, locoregional control, or overall survival.

"Sparing the parotid glands with IMRT significantly reduces the incidence of xerostomia and leads to recovery of saliva secretion and improvements in associated quality of life, and thus strongly supports a role for IMRT in squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck," the authors write.

AbstractFull Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Copyright © 2011 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Recent Videos
SNMMI: 18F-Piflufolastat PSMA PET/CT Offers High PPV for Local PCa Recurrence Regardless of PSA Level
SNMMI: NIH Researcher Discusses Potential of 18F-Fluciclovine for Multiple Myeloma Detection
SNMMI: What Tau PET Findings May Reveal About Modifiable Factors for Alzheimer’s Disease
Emerging Insights on the Use of FES PET for Women with Lobular Breast Cancer
Can Generative AI Reinvent Radiology Reporting?: An Interview with Samir Abboud, MD
Mammography Study Reveals Over Sixfold Higher Risk of Advanced Cancer Presentation with Symptom-Detected Cancers
Combining Advances in Computed Tomography Angiography with AI to Enhance Preventive Care
Study: MRI-Based AI Enhances Detection of Seminal Vesicle Invasion in Prostate Cancer
What New Research Reveals About the Impact of AI and DBT Screening: An Interview with Manisha Bahl, MD
Can AI Assessment of Longitudinal MRI Scans Improve Prediction for Pediatric Glioma Recurrence?
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.