Panahi, Y., Ala, S., Saeedi, M., Okhovatian, A., Bazzaz, N., & Naghizadeh, M. (2010). Allopurinol mouth rinse for prophylaxis of fluorouracil-induced mucositis. European Journal of Cancer Care, 19(3), 308–312.
To prepare and evaluate an allopurinol mouth rinse for prophylaxis of fluorouracil-induced mucositis
Allopurinol mouthwash (1 mg/ml) or placebo was administered 1, 2, and 3 hours after chemotherapy and three consecutive nights for 30 seconds. Patients were instructed to neither wash their mouths nor to eat and drink for 15 minutes afterward.
This was a single-site, outpatient study conducted in a clinic in Sari, Iran.
This was a placebo-controlled, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial.
An independent physician completed questionnaires consisting of demographic parameters, medical status, quality-of-life survey, and mucosal injury scoring table (based on World Health Organization [WHO] scales for mucositis).
No significant differences were found between the groups with regard to occurrence and severity of mucositis.
Because of compliance issues with the mouth rinse regimen, low concentration of the allopurinol in the rinse, and a small sample size, the treatment was deemed ineffective in prevention and severity of mucositis. Further studies are needed once the limitations are removed.