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- Title
Effect of Traum eel S on Pain and Discomfort in Radiation-induced Oral Mucositis: A Preliminary Observational Study.
- Authors
Steinmann, Diana; Eilers, Viktorija; Beynenson, Dimitry; Buhck, Hartmut; Fink, Matthias
- Abstract
Context · Painful oral mucositis is an almost inevitable side effect of radiotherapy of head and neck tumors that simultaneous chemotherapy intensifies and that is notoriously difficult to treat. In a previous study, chemotherapyinduced stomatitis in children undergoing bone marrow transplantation responded well to the homeopathic complex remedy Traumeel S. Objective · To evaluate the efficacy of Traumeel S in the management of radiation-induced oral mucositis in patients with head and neck tumors. Design · The research team designed a nonrandomized, prospective, observational study with matched pairs. Setting · The research team performed the study in a tertiary cancer-care center at the Institute of Radiotherapy and Special Oncology, Medical School Hanover, Germany. Participants · The participants were 20 patients who were receiving radiotherapy or radiochemotherapy for head and neck tumors. Intervention · Five times per day during the observational period, participants self-administered daily mouth rinses with either sage tea (Salvia officina/is, control group) or Traum eelS solution (intervention group). Outcome Measures · Two independent physicians determined the grade of oral mucositis at least once per week, and the research team derived the degree of oral pain from diaries that participants kept. Results · Both groups were comparable in terms of tumor and treatment characteristics. The research team could not confirm any appreciable specific effect of Traumeel S on the primary endpoints; the limited reduction in pain for the intervention group compared to the control group was not significant, and the more frequent analgesia in the Traumeel S group most likely explained that reduction. Among the secondary endpoints, loss of taste and swallowing difficulty responded to Traumeel S to some extent. Conclusions · Traum eel S may have some potential in the treatment of radiation-induced oral mucositis, but its possible effects need confirmation by further studies. This article discusses some methodological requirements.
- Subjects
MUCOUS membrane diseases; ANALGESIC effectiveness; CLINICAL drug trials; RADIATION-induced abnormalities; CANCER treatment complications; SCIENTIFIC observation; PAIN management
- Publication
Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine, 2012, Vol 18, Issue 4, p12
- ISSN
1078-6791
- Publication type
Article