Efficacy of Cryotherapy and Hangeshashinto for Radiation-induced Oral Stomatitis: Preliminary Study

Radiation-induced stomatitis is one of the main acute disorders in patients with head and neck cancer. Since its treatment is often delayed or discontinued, the control of perioperative oral function is necessary. It has been reported that Hangeshashinto (Japanese traditional herbal medicine) and cryotherapy (known as frozen therapy) alleviate oral stomatitis and the accompanying pain. In the present study, the combination effect of Hangeshashinto and cryotherapy on radiation-induced stomatitis in patients with head and neck cancers was investigated for the first time.

Fifty patients with head and neck cancer were subjected to radiation therapy with concomitant administration of anticancer drugs. They were separated into two groups, matched according to age, stage of cancer progression, total radiation dose, and type of concomitant anticancer drugs. One group was orally administrated frozen Hangeshashinto, while another group was not. Oral mucosal damage was assessed by the grade classification CTCAE v4.0 of the National Cancer Institute of the United States (Japanese JCOG version). Duration time of radiation-induced stomatitis was determined by the appearance of grade 1 redness to its disappearance.

Frozen Hangeshashinto significantly alleviated, delayed the onset, and reduced the duration time of the radiation-induced stomatitis.

Cryotherapy in combination with Hangeshashinto can be used for the treatment of radiation-induced oral stomatitis.