title: Effect of polaprezinc on oral mucositis, irradiation period, and time to discharge in patients with head and neck cancer.
abstract: The purpose of the present study was to determine whether polaprezinc suspension in sodium alginate (P-AG) reduces the irradiation period and time to discharge after completion of radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  
  The incidence and severity of oral mucositis, the irradiation period, and the time to discharge in patients who received radiotherapy with head and neck cancer were investigated retrospectively from the medical records.
  
  
  
  The incidence of grade 3 oral mucositis was significantly lower in the P-AG group than in the control group (16.5% vs 52.0%; p = .0003). P-AG also significantly reduced median duration of radiotherapy (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.557; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.357-0.871; p = .0149) and median time to discharge after completion of radiotherapy (HR = 0.604; 95% CI = 0.386-0.946; p = .028).
  
  
  
  P-AG reduced the irradiation period and the time to discharge after completion of radiotherapy by preventing oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 38: 1387-1392, 2016.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Ryo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Department of Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Toshinobu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shakui
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yukimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaharu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukita
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Bunya
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kuze
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Pharmaceutics, Department of Biomedical Pharmaceutics, Gifu Pharmaceutical University, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mizuta
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Gifu University Hospital, Gifu, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000287:Administration, Topical; D000368:Aged; D002336:Carnosine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000528:radiation effects; D009067:Mouthwashes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010351:Patient Discharge; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D011879:Radiotherapy Dosage; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D009067:Mouthwashes; D009942:Organometallic Compounds; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C061957:polaprezinc; D002336:Carnosine
keywords: head and neck cancer; irradiation period; oral mucositis; polaprezinc; radiotherapy; time to discharge