Radiotherapy is one of the main treatments for head and neck cancers, especially nasopharyngeal cancer. During radiotherapy, the salivary glands, parts of which are commonly included in or very close to the target volume, receive a high radiation dose on both sides, which can lead to xerostomia (dry mouth). Xerostomia can produce a number of negative effects on the patient’s quality of life, af...

Objectives: Use of certain drugs is the most common aetiology of xerostomia. Systemic sialogogues provide a longer effect than topic ones, but also induce relevant side effects. Topical sialogogues, as malic acid, allow a safe use as they induce no systemic side-effects or pharmacological interactions, being especially interesting in cases of mild hyposalivation and oral dryness, mainly the chr...

UNLABELLED IMRT has achieved an excellent survival and less radiation-induced sequelae with improvement of QoL within 2 years compared to conventional radiotherapy for NPC. Whether IMRT could sustained decrease incidence of late sequelae and improve QoL further for long-term survivors remained unknown. 176 patients from Aug. 2002 to Jun. 2009 were retrospectively analyzed. Radiation-related tox...

Xerostomia is an important complication following radiotherapy (RT) for head and neck cancer. Current treatment approaches are insufficient and can only temporarily relieve symptoms. New insights into the physiopathology of radiation-induced xerostomia might help us in this regard. This review discusses the current knowledge of salivary gland stem cells in radiation-induced xerostomia and their...

Xerostomia during and following a course of head and neck irradiation profoundly impacts the quality of life of many patients. Xerostomia not only affects mucous membranes and teeth but also interferes with patient comfort, nutrition, and activities of daily living. A thorough evaluation of xerostomia is essential and should include providing anticipatory guidance to the patient and family. In ...

BACKGROUND The salivary mucin MUC5B, present in (sero)mucous secretions including submandibular gland (SMG) saliva, plays an important role in the lubrication of the oral mucosa and is thought to be related to the feeling of dry mouth. We investigated if MUC5B levels in SMG saliva could distinguish between the presence or absence of severe dry mouth complaints 12  months after radiotherapy (RT)...

BACKGROUND Large anatomical variations occur during the course of intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for locally advanced head and neck cancer (LAHNC). The risks are therefore a parotid glands (PG) overdose and a xerostomia increase. The purposes of the study were to estimate: - the PG overdose and the xerostomia risk increase during a "standard" IMRT (IMRTstd); - the benefits of an a...

Dysphagia and xerostomia are the main sequellae of chemoradiotherapy for head and neck cancer, and the main factors in reducing long-term patient quality of life. IMRT uses advanced technology to focus the high radiation doses on the targets and avoid irradiation of non-involved tissues. The decisions about sparing organs and tissues whose damage causes xerostomia and dysphagia depends on the e...

Aim: To evaluate the impact of xerostomia, edentulism, use dental prosthesis, and presence chronic diseases on quality life in relation to oral health institutionalized elderly individuals. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A questionnaire was administered containing following instruments: Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14), which measures related health; Summated Xerostomia Inventory...