• Imjai Chitapanarux, Pimkhuan Kamnerdsupaphon, Ekkasit Tharavichitkul, Yupa Sumitsawan, Pichit Sittitrai, Tienchai Pattarasakulchai, Vicharn Lorvidhaya, Vimol Sukthomya, Nantaka Pukanhaphan, and Patrinee Traisatit.
• Division of Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50200, Thailand. imjai@hotmail.com
• J Med Assoc Thai. 2008 Sep 1; 91 (9): 1410-5.

ObjectiveThe authors determined the efficacy and safety of oral pilocarpine tablet in symptomatic relief of post-radiation xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients.Material And MethodThirty-three radiation-induced xerostomia patients were enrolled in a single-blind method to receive placebo 1-tablet three times daily in the first month and then oral pilocarpine (5 mg) 1-tablet three times daily for the next three months. Patients were evaluated for subjective symptomatic relief of xerostomia using questionnaires. Objective findings of xerostomia were also evaluated at the same time by two radiation oncologists.ResultsAll 33 patients had received radiotherapy doses at least 4000 cGy to the parotid glands. Improvement of xerostomia symptoms was observed, with a mean total subjective xerostomia score improvement at the first 4 weeks of oral pilocarpine treatment (p = 0.001), and later throughout the present study. Objective xerostomia score also showed statistically significant improvement at the same time point. Adverse effects of pilocarpine included sweating, nausea, palpitation, and tearing, with sweating as the most common side effect. Adverse effects of placebo included mild headache, nausea, and vomiting.ConclusionOral pilocarpine was effective and well tolerated in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia symptoms.

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