title: Randomized Trial of Vitamin C/E Complex for Prevention of Radiation-Induced Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer.
abstract: The present study was conducted to determine the preventive efficacy of vitamin C/E complex supplementation for radiotherapy (RT)-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer.
  
  
  
  Prospective, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled study.
  
  
  
  A single tertiary referral institution.
  
  
  
  The trial group (n = 25) received antioxidant supplements (100 IU of vitamin E + 500 mg of vitamin C) twice per day during RT, while the control group (n = 20) received an identical placebo. Pre-RT and 1 and 6 months post-RT, patient-reported xerostomia questionnaires, observer-rated xerostomia score, and salivary scintigraphy were serially obtained to compare xerostomia severity between the 2 groups.
  
  
  
  The trial group showed greater improvements in xerostomia questionnaire and score at 6 months post-RT when compared with those at 1 month post-RT (P = .007 and .008, respectively). In contrast, the control group showed no changes between 1 and 6 months post-RT. By salivary scintigraphy, there was no difference in maximal accumulation or ejection fraction between the 2 groups. However, the trial group maintained significantly better oral indices at the prestimulatory (P = .01) and poststimulatory (P = .009) stages at 1 month post-RT, compared with the control group. At the final follow-up, there was no difference in overall survival and disease-free survival between the 2 groups.
  
  
  
  Our data suggest that short-term supplementation with an antioxidant vitamin E/C complex exerts a protective effect against RT-induced xerostomia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Man Ki
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Busan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Korea.
authors.forename: Do Hun
authors.initials: do H
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation Oncology, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Chan
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Joon Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Hye
authors.initials: EH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Samsung Comprehensive Cancer Center, Seoul, Korea yison@skku.edu.
authors.forename: Young-Ik
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Son
mesh_terms: D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E; D001205:Ascorbic Acid
keywords: head-and-neck cancer; radiotherapy; randomized trial; vitamin; xerostomia