title: Phenytoin mouthwash to treat cancer therapy-induced oral mucositis: A pilot studyPrimary neuroendocrine carcinoma of breast: A rare tumor.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oral mucositis is one of the most common side effects of cancer therapy with no definite treatment. Phenytoin has positive effects on healing of mucosal and dermal wounds. In this study efficacy of 1% phenytoin mouthwash on severity of mucositis (on the basis of WHO scale), pain relief (based on Visual Analogue Scale), and improvement of patients' quality of life (on the basis of EORTC-QLQ-H and N35 questionnaire) was evaluated.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a pilot -double-blind randomized clinical trial, eight patients in study group were given 1% phenytoin mouthwash while eight patients in control group used normal saline. Data analysis was performed by Mann-Whitney and Repeated Measured ANOVA tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Reduction of mucositis severity was observed, but the difference was not significant. On the other hand, patients on phenytoin therapy had better pain relief (VAS# 6.75 ± 1.58 at the beginning of the study reached to # 3.75 ± 1.16 after 3 weeks in phenytoin group) and improvement in quality of life (score of QOL was 70.63 ± 5.5 that reached to 63.61 ± 6.39 in phenytoin group) than normal saline group significantly (P < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One percent phenytoin mouthwash caused pain relief and improvement of life quality significantly in patients with mucositis due to cancer therapy, but it did not reduce the severity of mucositis in a statistically significant scale.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baharvand
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hamian
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Moosavizadeh
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mortazavi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ameri
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009067:Mouthwashes / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010672:Phenytoin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy
chemical_list: D009067:Mouthwashes; D010672:Phenytoin