Alpha-lipoic acid as a preventive measure in radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A randomized controlled study.

Denna randomiserade kontrollerade studie omfattade 70 personer med huvud- och halscancer som fick definitiv strålbehandling. Deltagarna tog oral alfa-liponsyra (ALA), 600 mg två gånger dagligen, eller placebo under hela strålbehandlingen. The primär outcome was radiation-induced oral mucositis, graded with the Radiotherapy Oncology Group scale. Severe mucositis, grades 3 or 4, occurred in 16.7% of the ALA group and 41.3% of controls (p=0.036). ALA also delayed the onset of severe mucositis (p=0.033) and shortened healing time (p=0.042). Quality-of-life scores changed by 43.33% from baseline with ALA and 44.84% in controls, a non-significant difference. Serum total antioxidant capacity improved with ALA, while C-reactive protein did not. The abstract reports that ALA was safe and tolerable. This is a treatment-support study in patients receiving radiotherapy, not evidence that ALA improves longevity or prevents disease in healthy adults. Its clinically relevant mucositis outcome is more useful than the measured antioxidant marker, but the result applies to a specific cancer-care setting.

ALA significantly reduced the severity and delayed the onset of radiation-induced oral mucositis with a high safety profile.