title: A novel method to evaluate salivary flow rates of head and neck cancer patients after radiotherapy: a pilot study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The procedure used to evaluate salivary flow rate is called sialometry. It can be performed through several techniques, but none appears to be really efficient for post-radiotherapy patients.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To adequate sialometry tests for head and neck cancer patients submitted to radiotherapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  22 xerostomic patients post-radiotherapy (total radiation dose ranging from 60 to 70Gy) were included in this study. Ten patients were evaluated using sialometries originally proposed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and twelve were assessed by our modified methods. Unstimulated and stimulated sialometries were performed and the results were classified according a grading scale and compared between both groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was no statistically significant difference between the salivary evaluations of both groups (p=0.4487 and p=0.5615). Also, most of these rates were classified as very low and low.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This novel method seems to be suitable for patients submitted to radiotherapy.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Setor de Radioterapia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil; Hospital Heliópolis, Serviço de Estomatologia e Cirurgia Bucomaxilofacial, São Paulo, SP, Brazil. Electronic address: luizfelipep@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luiz Felipe
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Setor de Radioterapia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernanda Aurora Stabile
authors.initials: FAS
authors.lastname: Gonnelli
authors.affiliation: Hospital Heliópolis, Serviço de Estomatologia e Cirurgia Bucomaxilofacial, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marcucci
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Setor de Radioterapia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Adelmo José
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Giordani
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Setor de Radioterapia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Rodrigo Souza
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Dias
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Setor de Radioterapia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Roberto Araújo
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Segreto
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP), Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imagem, Setor de Radioterapia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helena Regina Comodo
authors.initials: HRC
authors.lastname: Segreto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010306:Parotid Gland; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011832:Radiation Injuries; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism*; D012472:Salivation / Q000528:radiation effects; D014987:Xerostomia / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Head and neck neoplasms; Neoplasias de cabeça e pescoço; Radioterapia; Radiotherapy; Saliva; Xerostomia