Effects of Oral L-Glutamine in Head and Neck Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy
Effects of Oral L-Glutamine in Head and Neck Cancer Patients During Radiotherapy
NCT ID: NCT03015077 Phase: NA Status: COMPLETED Enrollment: 59 Completion: 2016-08
Conditions
Head and Neck Cancer
Interventions
oral glutamine, placebo, Radiotherapy
Summary
The rapidly increasing mortality and incidence of oral cancer has become a public health major problem in Taiwan. To date, the treatment of head and neck cancer mainly include surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, radiotherapy and chemotherapy might have an influence on the patients' diet by causing dismal side effects, including nausea, vomiting, pain, infection, dysorexia, allotriogeustia, oral ulceration and dysphagia, which make the patients more difficult to absorb nutrients. In the previous study, the incidence of malnutrition among the patients with cancer has been estimated at between 40 and 80%, especially occurred in the patients with head and neck cancers and upper gastrointestinal cancers.
In this study, the effect of supplement with L-Glutamine on the nutritional status and radiation-induced toxicity of head and neck cancer patients will be evaluated to improve the patients' quality of life when they are undergoing radiotherapy. When the head and neck cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy, patients' instructions and nutrient intervention of L-Glutamine are performed to maintain the patients' nutritional status and reduce the patients' diet-related or other side effects caused by radiotherapy. It is anticipated that head and neck cancer patients with surgery and radiotherapy intake with L-Glutamine might decrease treatment-related side effects and hence improve their quality of life when they are undergoing radiotherapy.
Primary Outcome
grade of oral mucositis