Oral Oncol
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To study salivary secretion rates and symptoms of xerostomia in children and adolescents conditioned with either radiation therapy or with chemotherapy only in the setting of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Thirty patients conditioned with 10 Gy single dose TBI (sTBI) and cyclophosphamide (Cy) 60 mg/kg for two days and 35 conditioned busulfan (Bu) and Cy as part of the preparative regimen were included in the study. All patients were treated before 13 years of age, and had survived 2-16 years after HSCT. ⋯ Both unstimulated and stimulated salivary secretion rates were inversely correlated to the total number of complaints of xerostomia. This study shows that children exhibit xerostomia after HSCT irrespective of conditioning with busulfan or sTBI. It is of importance that salivary function is evaluated and that both salivary function as well as the subjective feeling of mouth dryness is evaluated.