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Background: To evaluate, in an initial way, the effectiveness of bioadhesive chlorhexidine gel 0.2% versus placebo
as a preventive and therapeutic intervention of oral mucositis induced by radiation therapy and chemotherapy in
patients diagnosed with head and neck cancer treated with chemoradiotherapy.
Material and Methods:
In this pilot study, 7 patients (range of age: 18- 65), having histological documented diagnosis
of squamous carcinoma on the head and neck region in stage III and IV, and receiving combined radiation
treatment and chemotherapy (cisplatin 100 mg/m2 IV on days 1, 22, and 43 of irradiation) were studied. Simultaneously,
a topical application was performed with bioadhesive chlorhexidine gel 0.2% in the study group, and
the placebo gel for the control group in 5 applications per day, from the time of initiation of cancer treatment to
2 weeks after completion of chemo-radiotherapy treatment (11 weeks of follow-up). The gradation of mucositis,
pain, analgesic consumption, infectious complications, and treatment tolerance was measured.
Results: After 7 patients completed the protocol, any differences were observed between groups in an interval
analysis. Mucositis, pain, and tolerance was similar in both groups.
Conclusions: Our results must be interpreted with caution due to the reduced sample size, but the use of bioadhesive
chlorhexidine gel 0.2% didn’t contribute clinical improvement to the oral mucositis induced by radiation
therapy and chemotherapy.
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