PURPOSE: Tsumura Co.'s Bakumondo-to (TJ-29) is a Chinese herb medicine prescribed widely in Japan for bronchitis and laryngitis. It is well known that TJ-29 not only has a variety of effects including anti-inflammatory and antitussive properties, but also is capable of increasing salivary secretions. The purpose of this study is to examine whether TJ-29 can reduce mucosal toxicity caused by radiotherapy in patients with early laryngeal carcinoma.
METHODS AND MATERIALS: Between 1993 and 1999, 20 patients with primary early laryngeal carcinoma were treated by radiotherapy at Nagato General Hospital. All patients were treated with 2 Gy per fraction daily, 5 days a week. Eight patients formed the control group (no TJ-29) and 12 patients received TJ-29 throughout the radiation therapy. The severity of daily subjective symptoms such as hoarseness, xerostomia or pharyngoxerosis, cough, and sore throat were graded O to 3 according to descriptions on the clinical charts.
RESULTS: No statistically significant between-group differences were seen in subjective hoarseness, xerostomia or pharyngoxerosis, and cough. However the mean final grade of subjective sore throat was less severe in the TJ-29 group (p=0.023).
CONCLUSION: Despite the limited number of patients, this study suggests that TJ-29 was able to reduce the severity of mucositis induced by radiotherapy. Further intensive research is needed.
