Efficacy of vitamin D gel in curbing and curing radiation-induced oral mucositis

Abstract

Purpose of the Study: To assess the effectiveness of an oral gel containing Vitamin D in the therapy and prevention of radiation-induced oral mucositis. Materials and Methods: Sixty head and neck cancer patients seeking radiation therapy agreed to participate in a randomized control clinical trial. The first group consisted of conventional treatment augmented with topical application of oral Vitamin D gel. In the second group, only topical oral Vitamin D gel was prescribed. All patients had clinical evaluations for pain and WHO mucositis scores subsequently for two, four, and six weeks after the start of radiation. Results: After six weeks of radiation, patients in both groups experienced complete remissions or less oral mucositis, with the combination group showing better results. Both groups experienced pain relief, with 83.3% of patients in group 1 experiencing complete remission. Conclusion: Topical oral Vitamin D gel reduced the severity of oral mucositis and mitigated pain when implemented in tandem with conventional therapy.

Keywords

• chitosan
• immunomodulatory
• mucositis
• radiation
• therapeutic