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Volume 5 Issue 3 (March, 2017)

Original Articles

ASSOCIATION OF MUCOSITIS WITH VARIOUS PREDISPOSING FACTORS IN THE PATIENTS WHO UNDERWENT RADIOTHERAPY FOR HEAD AND NECK CANCERS- A HOSPITAL BASED STUDY
Pardeep Garg, Parveen Kaur, Rajesh Vashistha, Rupinder Singh, Ishu Sharma

Background-The standard treatment for patients with locally advanced head neck cancer has been surgery followed by postoperative radiotherapy. Head and neck cancers are relatively chemo-sensitive. The concomitant administration of chemotherapy and radiotherapy has been the most hopeful strategy in recent years. Material and methods: The study was conducted head & neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy. Patients particulars were noted, a thorough history of the disease. Any history of addiction to smoking, alcohol, opium and tobacco consumption was taken. History of diabetes mellitus was noted.  A complete physical examination with assessment of ECOG performance score, Pre treatment oral assessment, primary tumor size and regional lymph nodes was carried out for all the patients in the study and association of various factors with severity of mucositis was noted.  The independent sample “t-test” was used to assess group differences for continuous variable.  Results: 62 out 115 (53.91%) patients in the smoker group showed grade IV mucositis. Tobacco chewing was associated with mucositis grade IV in 90% patients as against 20.25% in non-tobacco chewer group (p value < 0.01). Association of grade IV mucositis was observed in 58/98 (59.18%) patients with bad ODH. In smoker group, the incidence of mucositis was more as compared to the non-smoker group and p value < 0.01 was seen suggesting of high significance. Conclusion: After 60 years of age group, mucositis grade IV incidence was seen to increase from 50% in below 60 year age group to 56.33%. Tobacco taken in any form by head and neck cancer patients makes them highly prone to develop grade IV mucositis
Keywords- Mucositis; Radiotherapy; Tobacco

 
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