title: Liposomal treatment of xerostomia, odor, and taste abnormalities in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: Smell and taste disorders, sicca symptoms, can be detected in patients with head and neck cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the utility of local liposomal application in the treatment of patients with head and neck cancers.
  
  
  
  Ninety-eight patients with head and neck cancer were included in this study. The groups were defined as: group 1 = only surgery; group 2 = surgery + adjuvant radiochemotherapy; and group 3 = primarily radiochemotherapy. All patients had finished cancer treatment and received liposomal sprays for the nose and mouth for 2 months (LipoNasal, LipoSaliva; Optima Pharmaceutical GmbH, Germany) and suffered from taste and smell disorders. We performed tests with "Sniffin' Sticks," "Taste Strips," and a xerostomia questionnaire before and after treatment.
  
  
  
  After application of liposomes, patients demonstrated a statistically significant increase in smell and taste, and reduced xerostomia.
  
  
  
  Our results demonstrate that using nonpharmaceutical liposomal sprays improve smell, taste, and symptoms of xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: E1232-E1237, 2016.
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Clemens
authors: C
authors: Heiser
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Benedikt
authors: B
authors: Hofauer
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Elias
authors: E
authors: Scherer
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Johannes
authors: J
authors: Schukraft
authors: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany.
authors: Andreas
authors: A
authors: Knopf
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008081:Liposomes / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008081:Liposomes
keywords: chemosensation; head and neck cancer; irradiation; sicca symptoms; smell and taste disorders; xerostomia