Prophylactic efficacy of allopurinol ice ball for leucovorin/5-fluorouracil therapy-induced stomatitis.
BACKGROUND
Stomatitis in cancer chemotherapy manifests with pronounced subjective symptoms, lowers the patient's quality of life (QOL) and may necessitate the discontinuation of chemotherapy. There have been few effective therapies established to date for chemotherapy-induced stomatitis.


METHODS
We used frozen allopurinol solution (allopurinol ice balls) in the prevention of stomatitis associated with leucovorin (LV)/5-fluorouracil (5-FU) therapy for colon cancer.


RESULTS
Among 32 patients undergoing LV/5-FU therapy, without the use of the allopurinol ice balls, 15 patients developed stomatitis. On the other hand, only 3 patients developed stomatitis among 20 patients receiving the chemotherapy in conjunction with allopurinol ice balls (p=0.0187). Seven patients who developed stomatitis during a course of chemotherapy without allopurinol ice balls were administered the ice balls in the subsequent course; 6 of these patients responded with lessened severity of stomatitis. In 2 of these responders, stomatitis of comparable severity recurred on discontinuation of the medication.


CONCLUSIONS
Concomitant use of allopurinol ice balls is effective in preventing stomatitis in patients undergoing LV/5-FU therapy.
Yokomizo
Hajime
H
Department of Surgery, Tokyo Women's Medical University Daini Hospital, 2-1-10 Nishiogu, Arakawaku, Tokyo, Japan 116-8567.
Yoshimatsu
Kazuhiko
K
Hashimoto
Masahiko
M
Ishibashi
Keiichiro
K
Umehara
Arihiro
A
Yoshida
Kiyohito
K
Fujimoto
Takashi
T
Watanabe
Kiyo
K
Ogawa
Kenji
K
D000493:Allopurinol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D007053:Ice; D002955:Leucovorin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000517:prevention & control*
D007053:Ice; D000493:Allopurinol; D002955:Leucovorin; D005472:Fluorouracil