Despite high incidence rates and severe complications, the management of xerostomia lacks clinical guidelines. The aim of this overview was to summarize the clinical experience derived from the last 10 years of treatments and prevention using systemic compounds. Results showed that the cytoprotective drug amifostine, and its antioxidant agents, are the most discussed as preventive agents of xerostomia in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. In the presence of the disease, the pharmacological treatments have been mainly directed to stimulate secretion of the damaged salivary glands, or to counteract a decreased capacity of the antioxidant system, in view of an increasing of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the data demonstrated low ability of the drugs, together with a great number of side effects, which strongly limit their use. Concerning traditional medicine (TM), valid clinical trials are so limited that neither the efficacy nor the absence of interferences to concomitant chemical therapies can be validated. Consequently, the management of xerostomia and its devastating complications remain a very significant void in daily clinical practice.

Xerostomia: from pharmacological treatments to traditional medicine—an overview on the possible clinical management and prevention using systemic approaches / Sardellitti, Luigi; Bortone, Antonella; Filigheddu, Enrica; Serralutzu, Francesca; Milia, Egle Patrizia. - In: CURRENT ONCOLOGY. - ISSN 1718-7729. - 30:5(2023), pp. 4412-4426. [10.3390/curroncol30050336]

Xerostomia: from pharmacological treatments to traditional medicine—an overview on the possible clinical management and prevention using systemic approaches

Luigi Sardellitti;Antonella Bortone;Enrica Filigheddu;Egle Patrizia Milia
2023-01-01

Abstract

Despite high incidence rates and severe complications, the management of xerostomia lacks clinical guidelines. The aim of this overview was to summarize the clinical experience derived from the last 10 years of treatments and prevention using systemic compounds. Results showed that the cytoprotective drug amifostine, and its antioxidant agents, are the most discussed as preventive agents of xerostomia in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients. In the presence of the disease, the pharmacological treatments have been mainly directed to stimulate secretion of the damaged salivary glands, or to counteract a decreased capacity of the antioxidant system, in view of an increasing of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the data demonstrated low ability of the drugs, together with a great number of side effects, which strongly limit their use. Concerning traditional medicine (TM), valid clinical trials are so limited that neither the efficacy nor the absence of interferences to concomitant chemical therapies can be validated. Consequently, the management of xerostomia and its devastating complications remain a very significant void in daily clinical practice.
2023
Xerostomia: from pharmacological treatments to traditional medicine—an overview on the possible clinical management and prevention using systemic approaches / Sardellitti, Luigi; Bortone, Antonella; Filigheddu, Enrica; Serralutzu, Francesca; Milia, Egle Patrizia. - In: CURRENT ONCOLOGY. - ISSN 1718-7729. - 30:5(2023), pp. 4412-4426. [10.3390/curroncol30050336]
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11388/308347
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus ND
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact