title: The efficacy of oral glutamine in prevention of acute radiotherapy-induced esophagitis in patients with lung cancer.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  This 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.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There 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).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Antakya State Hospital, Antakya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Oznur Donmez
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Tutanc
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Medicine School of Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Akin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Aydogan
authors.affiliation: Department of General Surgery, Medicine School of Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seckin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Akkucuk
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Oncology, Medicine School of Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ahmet Taner
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Sunbul
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Medicine School of Dicle University, Diyarbakır, Turkey.
authors.forename: Seyit Burhanedtin
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Zincircioglu
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medicine School of Dicle University, Diyarbakır,Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulistan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Alpagat
authors.affiliation: Department of Chest Diseases, Medicine School of Mustafa Kemal University, Antakya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Ersin Sukru
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Erden
keywords: acute esophagitis; glutamine; lung cancer; radioprotective; thoracic radiotherapy