Role of benzydamine hydrochloride in the prevention of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiotherapy (>50 Gy) with or without chemotherapy

Purpose Benzydamine is recommended for prophylaxis of oral mucositis (OM) in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients for radiation doses (<50 Gy). This study evaluates role of benzydamine for higher radiation doses (>50 Gy) with or without chemotherapy. Methods One hundred twenty patients of HNC with planned radiation doses of >= 60 Gy were randomized to group A (control radiotherapy alone), group B (study radiotherapy alone), group C (control chemoradiotherapy), or to group D (study chemoradiotherapy). Groups A and C were advised saline mouth rinses, and in groups B and D, additional benzydamine rinses (0.15%) were advised. Mucositis grading was done with both WHO (WHO-M) and CTCAE (CTC-M) version 4.0 (common terminology criteria for adverse events) weekly. Results Patient characteristics are presented in the table. Patients in group B had lesser grade 3 WHO-M and CTC-M as compared to group A, 62.1 vs. 36.4% (p = 0.038) and 51.7 vs. 27.3% (p = 0.043), respectively. The rates of Ryle's tube feeding (RTF), intravenous fluid supplementation (IVF), and hospitalization were also lesser in group B as compared to A, 34.5 vs. 21.2% (p = 0.18), 27.6 vs. 9.1% (p = 0.06), and 6.9 vs. 0% (p = 0.21), respectively. WHO-M and CTC- M in groups C and D were not statistically different, 64.3 vs. 43.3% (p = 0.091) and 53.6% vs. 43.3% (p = 0.30), respectively. The rates of RTF, IVF, and hospitalization were all lesser but p > 0.05. Conclusion Benzydamine significantly reduces OM even at doses >50 Gy in HNC patients. Its role in patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy further needs to be evaluated.