喉頭癌放射線療法時の咽頭喉頭粘膜炎，皮膚炎に対する塩酸アゼラスチンの抑制効果

Abstract

The onset mechanisms of mucositis and dermatitis caused by radiation therapy and chemotherapy have yet to be fully clarified. It has recently been suggested that reactive oxides produced by inflammation may result in cell injury, leading to mucositis and dermatitis. Hence, the suppression of reactive oxygen species such as superoxides and hydroxy radicals can be expected to be effective in preventing and treating these diseases. Azelastine hydrochloride suppresses the production of cytokines and reactive oxygen species, and some reports have documented its effectiveness in treating radiation mucositis and dermatitis. Therefore, we investigated the effectiveness of azelastine hydrochloride in preventing these diseases during radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer.Subjects were patients with laryngeal carcinomas (stages T1 and T2) who received curative radiation therapy. A close of 1 mg of azelastine hydrochloride was administered orally twice a day, from the start of the radiation therapy until one-four weeks after the completion of therapy. Chronological changes in the pharyngo-laryngeal cavity and the neck skin of the patients who received azelastine hydrochloride were compared with those of patients who did not.In the patients who received the azelastine hydrochloride, the onset of pharyngo-laryngeal mucositis and dermatitis was suppressed ; symptoms were relieved ealier and were not exacerbated. No severe side effects were observed, and the effectiveness of the radiation therapy was not affected.The administration of azelastine hydrochloride concurrently with radiation therapy for laryngeal cancer suppressed the onset of pharyngo-laryngeal mucositis and dermatitis and alleviated the severity of these diseases, thus suggesting the usefulness of azelastine hydrochloride administered concurrently with radiation therapy.