Arrabidaea chica for oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer: a protocol of a randomised clinical trial

INTRODUCTION: Oral mucositis is an iatrogenic condition of erythematous inflammatory changes which tends to occur on buccal and labial surfaces, the ventral surface of the tongue, the floor of the mouth and the soft palate of patients receiving chemotherapy. This protocol of ongoing randomised parallel group clinical trial aims to access the therapeutic effect of an herbal gel containing 2.5% Arrabidaea chica Verlot standardised extract on oral mucositis in patients with head and neck cancer compared with low-level laser therapy. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: Patients with head and neck cancer held at Clinics Hospital of University of Campinas, Sao Paulo, who develop early signs/symptoms of oral mucositis are eligible. Baseline characteristics of participants include oral mucositis grade and quality of life assessments. Enrolment started in November 2017 with allocation of patients to one of the study groups by means of randomisation. Patients will be treated either with Arrabidaea chica or laser until wound healing. Monitoring includes daily assessment of mucositis grade and diameter measurement by photographs and millimetre periodontal probe. Treatments will be concluded once mucositis is healed. A blinded assessor will evaluate mucositis cure after referred by the study team. At this point, the gel tube will be weighed to indirectly assess patient’s compliance. At close-out, data will be analysed by a blinded researcher following the procedures described in the statistical analyses. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This clinical trial was approved by the ethics committee of research in humans at the Faculty of Medical Sciences of University of Campinas (report no. 1,613,563/2016). Results from this trial will be communicated in peer-reviewed publications and scientific presentations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: RBR-5×4397.