Lievens, Y., Haustermans, K., Van den Weyngaert, D., Van den Bogaert, W., Scalliet, P., Hutsebaut, L., . . . Lambin, P. (1998). Does sucralfate reduce the acute side-effects in head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy? A double-blind randomized trial. Radiotherapy and Oncology, 47, 149–153.
To determine the efficacy of oral sucralfate in reducing radiation (RT)-induced acute complications in the treatment of patients with head and neck cancer. This study looked at mucositis and dermatitis.
Patients were given oral sucralfate at a dose of 1 gm six times a day from the onset of RT and continued during the entire treatment.
Two sites in Belgium
The study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial.
Dermatitis scoring scale:
Other variables analyzed were weight, tumor site, and stage; subjective tolerance; dysphagia; nausea and vomiting; dermatitis; mucositis; total dose; and daily fractionation schedule.
Of the initial 102 patients randomized, only 83 were evaluable due to issues of patient nonadherence to the protocol. Compliance was worse in the sucralfate group. There were no differences in mean scores for dermatitis or other symptoms measured between the two study groups.
No clinical evidence indicated that sucralfate reduces acute RT-induced side effects.