A novel method to evaluate salivary flow rates of head and neck cancer patients after radiotherapy: a pilot study

• Autor(a) principal: Palma,Luiz Felipe
• Data de Publicação: 2018
• Outros Autores: Gonnelli,Fernanda Aurora Stabile, Marcucci,Marcelo, Giordani,Adelmo José, Dias,Rodrigo Souza, Segreto,Roberto Araújo, Segreto,Helena Regina Comodo
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
• Texto Completo: http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1808-86942018000200227
• topic: Head and neck neoplasms; Xerostomia; Radiotherapy; Saliva

Abstract Introduction The procedure used to evaluate salivary flow rate is called sialometry. It can be performed through several techniques, but none appears to be really efficient for post-radiotherapy patients. Objective To adequate sialometry tests for head and neck cancer patients submitted to radiotherapy. Methods 22 xerostomic patients post-radiotherapy (total radiation dose ranging from 60 to 70 Gy) were included in this study. Ten patients were evaluated using sialometries originally proposed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and twelve were assessed by our modified methods. Unstimulated and stimulated sialometries were performed and the results were classified according a grading scale and compared between both groups. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the salivary evaluations of both groups (p = 0.4487 and p = 0.5615). Also, most of these rates were classified as very low and low. Conclusion This novel method seems to be suitable for patients submitted to radiotherapy.