NAC rinse reduces xerostomia in head & neck cancer patients receiving chemoradiation
This was a pilot scale double-blind, placebo-controlled randomized trial of a NAC rinse in people receiving chemoradiation for head and neck cancer. Patients were randomized to use either a 10% NAC rinse (100 mg/mL; 5 mL per rinse) or a sodium chloride placebo rinse in an FDA-approved diluent. Participants were advised to gargle with 5 mL of the solution for 60 seconds, and swish and spit 5 times daily both during radiation and for 2 weeks after completion of chemoradiation. For those in the treatment group, this provided a total NAC dose of 2500mg daily. Thirty-two participants were enrolled, with 17 receiving placebo, and 15 receiving NAC. The majority of subjects were receiving cisplatin.
NAC rinse was better than placebo for ameliorating thickened saliva and mucositis. The NAC group also had improved swallowing scores (p=0.17), and all scores for measures of pain, xerostomia, and trouble with social eating were better in subjects in the NAC group (all p values <0.20). There were no significant differences in adverse events between the NAC and placebo groups.
Citation:
Sio TT, Blanchard MJ, Novotny PJ, Patel SH, Rwigema JM, Pederson LD, McGee LA, Gamez ME, Seeger GR, Martenson JA, Grover Y, Neben Wittich MA, Garces YI, Foote RL, Miller RC, Halyard MY. N-Acetylcysteine Rinse for Thick Secretion and Mucositis of Head and Neck Chemoradiotherapy (Alliance MC13C2): A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. Mayo Clinic Proceedings. 2019 Aug 9. pii: S0025-6196(19)30396-9.
Link:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025619619303969