Cerchietti LCA, Navigante AH, Lutteral MA, Castro MA, Kirchuk R, Bonomi M, Cabalar ME, Roth B, Negretti G, Sheinker B, Uchima P. Double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial on intravenous l-alanyl-l-glutamine in the incidence of oral mucositis following chemoradiotherapy in patients with head-and-neck cancer.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2006;
65:1330-7. [PMID:
16765532 DOI:
10.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.03.042]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2005] [Revised: 02/27/2006] [Accepted: 03/12/2006] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE
We performed this double-blinded, placebo-controlled study to determine the safety and efficacy of L-alanyl-L-glutamine in the prevention of mucositis in patients with head-and-neck cancer.
METHODS AND MATERIALS
Thirty-two patients with head-and-neck cancer were treated with chemoradiotherapy (CRT) (radiotherapy daily up to 70 Gy plus cisplatin/5-fluoruracil once a week) and were asked to participate. Twenty-nine patients received the CRT schedule and were double-blindly assigned to receive either intravenous L-alanyl-L-glutamine 0.4 g/kg weight/day or an equal volume of saline (placebo) during chemotherapy days.
RESULTS
Fourteen patients received L-alanyl-L-glutamine and 15 received placebo. Mucositis was assessed by the Objective Mucositis Score (OMS) and the World Health Organization (WHO) grading system. There was a significant difference in incidence of mucositis developed in patients receiving placebo compared with those who received L-alanyl-L-glutamine (p = 0.035). The number of patients with severe objective mucositis (OMS >1.49) was higher in the placebo group compared with the L-alanyl-L-glutamine group (67% vs. 14%, p = 0.007). L-alanyl-L-glutamine patients experienced less pain (three highest Numeric Rating Scale scores of 1.3/10 vs. 6.3/10 respectively, p = 0.008) and need for feeding tubes (14% vs. 60% respectively, p = 0.020) compared with placebo patients. No adverse effects related to the drug or the infusions were noted in either group.
CONCLUSION
For patients with head-and-neck cancer receiving CRT, intravenous L-alanyl-L-glutamine may be an effective preventive measure to decrease the severity of mucositis.
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