Research progress of radiation-induced xerostomia in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Abstract

Radiation-induced xerostomia is the common radiotherapy-related complication of nasopharyngeal cancer and other head and neck cancers.The cause is that the radioactive rays damage salivary gland acini,ducts,blood vessels and nerves at different levels,resulting in dry mouth,mucositis,sialadenitis,and even dysphagia,trismus and other symptoms.In addition,radiation-induced xerostomia has a close relation to the radiation effect on the genes.Reasonable application of cytoprotective agents and sialagogues is the main treatment means.Chinese medicine also plays a crucial role in the prevention and treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia in recent years. Key words: Nasopharyngeal neoplasms ; Radiation-induced xerostomia ;