Vol.95 No.2 contentsPRACTICA OTO-RHINO-LARYNGOLOGICA
Vol. 95 No. 2 February 2002
Bakumondo-to Appears to Alleviate Radiation-Induced Mucositis
in Early Laryngeal Carcinoma
Koichiro Kanaya (Saiseikai Yamaguchi Genaral Hospital)
Yuji Imate (Yamaguchi University)
Tsuyoshi Takemoto (Sanyo Central Hospital)
Koji Hasuike (Nagato General Hospital)
Koichi Watanuki (Nagato General Hospital)
Keiji Moriya (Moriya ENT Clinic)
PURPOSE: Tsumura Co.'s Bakumondo-to (TJ-29) is a Chinese herb medicine prescribed widely in Japan for bronchitis and laryngitis. It is well known that TJ-29 not only has a variety of effects including anti-inflammatory and antitussive properties, but also is capable of increasing salivary secretions. The purpose of this study is to examine whether TJ-29 can reduce mucosal toxicity caused by radiotherapy in patients with early laryngeal carcinoma.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1993 and 1999, 20 patients with primary early laryngeal carcinoma were treated by radiotherapy at Nagato General Hospital. All patients were treated with 2 Gy per fraction daily, 5 days a week. Eight patients formed the control group (no TJ-29) and 12 patients received TJ-29 throughout the radiation therapy. The severity of daily subjective symptoms such as hoarseness, xerostomia or pharyngoxerosis, cough, and sore throat were graded 0 to 3 according to descriptions on the clinical charts.
RESULTS: No statistically significant between-group differences were seen in subjective hoarseness, xerostomia or pharyngoxerosis, and cough. However the mean final grade of subjective sore throat was less severe in the TJ-29 group (p＝0.0023).
CONCLUSION: Despite the limited number of patients, this study suggests that TJ-29 was able to reduce the severity of mucositis induced by radiotherapy. Further intensive research is needed.
Key words : Bakumondo-to, radiation-induced mucositis, TJ-29, radiotherapy