Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage
BACKGROUND: The irradiation of head and neck cancer (HNC) often causes damage to the salivary glands. The resulting salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia seriously reduce the patient’s quality of life. PURPOSE: To analyze the literature of actual management strategies for radiation-induced hypo...
Autores principales: | , , , , |
---|---|
Formato: | Online Artículo Texto |
Lenguaje: | English |
Publicado: |
Dove Medical Press
2015
|
Materias: | |
Acceso en línea: | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4325830/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25691810 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/TCRM.S70652 |
_version_ | 1782356851774455808 |
---|---|
author | Pinna, Roberto Campus, Guglielmo Cumbo, Enzo Mura, Ida Milia, Egle |
author_facet | Pinna, Roberto Campus, Guglielmo Cumbo, Enzo Mura, Ida Milia, Egle |
author_sort | Pinna, Roberto |
collection | PubMed |
description | BACKGROUND: The irradiation of head and neck cancer (HNC) often causes damage to the salivary glands. The resulting salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia seriously reduce the patient’s quality of life. PURPOSE: To analyze the literature of actual management strategies for radiation-induced hypofunction and xerostomia in HNC patients. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases were electronically evaluated for articles published from January 1, 1970, to June 30, 2013. Two reviewers independently screened and included papers according to the predefined selection criteria. RESULTS: Sixty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. The systematic review of the literature suggests that the most suitable methods for managing the clinical and pathophysiological consequences of HNC radiotherapy might be the pharmacological approach, for example, through the use of cholinergic agonists when residual secretory capacity is still present, and the use of salivary substitutes. In addition, a modified diet and the patient’s motivation to enhance oral hygiene can lead to a significant improvement. CONCLUSION: Radiation-induced xerostomia could be considered a multifactorial disease. It could depend on the type of cancer treatment and the cumulative radiation dose to the gland tissue. A preventive approach and the correct treatment of the particular radiotherapeutic patient can help to improve the condition of xerostomia. |
format | Online Article Text |
id | pubmed-4325830 |
institution | National Center for Biotechnology Information |
language | English |
publishDate | 2015 |
publisher | Dove Medical Press |
record_format | MEDLINE/PubMed |
spelling | pubmed-43258302015-02-17 Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage Pinna, Roberto Campus, Guglielmo Cumbo, Enzo Mura, Ida Milia, Egle Ther Clin Risk Manag Review BACKGROUND: The irradiation of head and neck cancer (HNC) often causes damage to the salivary glands. The resulting salivary gland hypofunction and xerostomia seriously reduce the patient’s quality of life. PURPOSE: To analyze the literature of actual management strategies for radiation-induced hypofunction and xerostomia in HNC patients. METHODS: MEDLINE/PubMed and the Cochrane Library databases were electronically evaluated for articles published from January 1, 1970, to June 30, 2013. Two reviewers independently screened and included papers according to the predefined selection criteria. RESULTS: Sixty-one articles met the inclusion criteria. The systematic review of the literature suggests that the most suitable methods for managing the clinical and pathophysiological consequences of HNC radiotherapy might be the pharmacological approach, for example, through the use of cholinergic agonists when residual secretory capacity is still present, and the use of salivary substitutes. In addition, a modified diet and the patient’s motivation to enhance oral hygiene can lead to a significant improvement. CONCLUSION: Radiation-induced xerostomia could be considered a multifactorial disease. It could depend on the type of cancer treatment and the cumulative radiation dose to the gland tissue. A preventive approach and the correct treatment of the particular radiotherapeutic patient can help to improve the condition of xerostomia. Dove Medical Press 2015-02-04 /pmc/articles/PMC4325830/ /pubmed/25691810 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/TCRM.S70652 Text en © 2015 Pinna et al. This work is published by Dove Medical Press Limited, and licensed under Creative Commons Attribution – Non Commercial (unported, v3.0) License The full terms of the License are available at http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/. Non-commercial uses of the work are permitted without any further permission from Dove Medical Press Limited, provided the work is properly attributed. |
spellingShingle | Review Pinna, Roberto Campus, Guglielmo Cumbo, Enzo Mura, Ida Milia, Egle Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
title | Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
title_full | Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
title_fullStr | Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
title_full_unstemmed | Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
title_short | Xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
title_sort | xerostomia induced by radiotherapy: an overview of the physiopathology, clinical evidence, and management of the oral damage |
topic | Review |
url | https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4325830/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25691810 http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/TCRM.S70652 |
work_keys_str_mv | AT pinnaroberto xerostomiainducedbyradiotherapyanoverviewofthephysiopathologyclinicalevidenceandmanagementoftheoraldamage AT campusguglielmo xerostomiainducedbyradiotherapyanoverviewofthephysiopathologyclinicalevidenceandmanagementoftheoraldamage AT cumboenzo xerostomiainducedbyradiotherapyanoverviewofthephysiopathologyclinicalevidenceandmanagementoftheoraldamage AT muraida xerostomiainducedbyradiotherapyanoverviewofthephysiopathologyclinicalevidenceandmanagementoftheoraldamage AT miliaegle xerostomiainducedbyradiotherapyanoverviewofthephysiopathologyclinicalevidenceandmanagementoftheoraldamage |