This research aims to investigate the effectiveness of topical olive oil application both clinically and biochemically as a suitable affordable treatment modality for prevention and management of radiation oral mucositis and its associated pain for head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy.
Twenty adult patients seeking radiotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer are to be selected. Patients meeting the eligibility criteria are to be equally and randomly allocated in 2 different groups. Group 1 will include10 patients receiving topical olive oil application, twice daily (Experimental arm). Group 2 will include 10 patients receiving Sodium bicarbonate 5% solution, twice daily (Control arm). Both intervention and control groups will start the application of the agents two days before the induction of radiotherapy. Evaluation will be done using World Health Organization (WHO) scale for oral mucositis to record the extent and severity of oral mucositis. Pain and discomfort will be evaluated using Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Clinical evaluation using both scales will be performed after starting radiotherapy every other week ( after 2 weeks, after 4 weeks and after 6 weeks at the end of the treatment). Patients scores will be recorded at similar intervals. Total Antioxidant Capacity "TAC" will be used to study the biochemical effect of topical olive oil application by evaluating the oxidative stress in the saliva. Saliva samples will be collected from all patients of both groups prior to the beginning of radiotherapy, and a second sample will be collected after six weeks.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
20
Olive oil will be placed in 200 ml opaque glass containers. For each application, a new stick with a sponge will be submerged into one of the agents to absorb then coat the tongue, buccal mucosa, lips, and hard palate. Patients will be instructed to refrain form eating for 1 hour after the application
Sodium bicarbonate 5% solution will be placed in 200 ml opaque glass containers. For each application, a new stick with a sponge will be submerged into one of the agents to absorb then coat the tongue, buccal mucosa, lips, and hard palate. Patients will be instructed to refrain form eating for 1 hour after the application
Salma Hesham Elhoufi
Cairo, Select, Egypt
Incidence of Oral Radiation mucositis
Number of participants who develop Radiation mucositis according to the WHO Scale. (grade 0 indicates that no changes have occurred in the oral cavity and grade 4 indicates the worst level of mucositis )
Time frame: Every other week ( 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 at the end of the treatment)
Grade of oral radiation mucositis
Clinical evaluation using the WHO scale will be performed to record the changes in the oral cavity after starting radiotherapy, (grade 0 indicates that no changes have occurred in the oral cavity and grade 4 indicates the worst level of mucositis )
Time frame: Every other week ( 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks at the end of the treatment)
Post operative pain assessment using Numeric Pain Rating Scale
To evaluate patient's perception of postoperative pain during the treatment time using the NRS (Numeric Pain Rating Scale). The NRS is an 11-point numeric scale that ranges from '0' representing one pain extreme (e.g. "no pain") to '10' representing the other pain extreme (e.g. "pain as bad as you can imagine" or "worst pain imaginable")
Time frame: Patients scores will be recorded after starting radiotherapy every other week ( 2 weeks, 4 weeks and 6 weeks at the end of the treatment)
Total antioxidant capacity
To evaluate the biochemical effect of topical olive oil application using the Total Antioxidant Capacity (TAC) test in the saliva of patients with radiation oral mucositis
Time frame: Salivary samples will be collected at baseline before the induction of radiotherapy and at 6 weeks at the end of the treatment for TAC analysis.
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