A novel method to evaluate salivary flow rates of head and neck cancer patients after radiotherapy: a pilot study

Publication date: Available online 25 March 2017
Source:Brazilian Journal of Otorhinolaryngology
Author(s): Luiz Felipe Palma, Fernanda Aurora Stabile Gonnelli, Marcelo Marcucci, Adelmo José Giordani, Rodrigo Souza Dias, Roberto Araújo Segreto, Helena Regina Comodo Segreto
IntroductionThe procedure used to evaluate salivary flow rate is called sialometry. It can be performed through several techniques, but none appears to be really efficient for post-radiotherapy patients.ObjectiveTo adequate sialometry tests for head and neck cancer patients submitted to radiotherapy.Methods22 xerostomic patients post-radiotherapy (total radiation dose ranging from 60 to 70Gy) were included in this study. Ten patients were evaluated using sialometries originally proposed by the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group and twelve were assessed by our modified methods. Unstimulated and stimulated sialometries were performed and the results were classified according a grading scale and compared between both groups.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the salivary evaluations of both groups (p=0.4487 and p=0.5615). Also, most of these rates were classified as very low and low.ConclusionThis novel method seems to be suitable for patients submitted to radiotherapy.



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