Effect of topical honey on limitation of radiation-induced oral mucositis: an
intervention study.
Author(s): Khanal B, Baliga M, Uppal N.
Affiliation(s): Department of Oral Surgery, People's Dental College, Kathmandu, Nepal.
Publication date & source: 2010, Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg. , 39(12):1181-5
Radiation therapy for oral carcinoma is therapeutically useful in dose of at
least 6000 cGy but causes mucositis that severely interferes with oral function.
The literature indicates that honey appears to promote wound healing, so the
authors investigated whether its anti-inflammatory properties might limit the
severity of radiation-induced oral mucositis. A single-blinded, randomized,
controlled clinical trial was carried out to compare the mucositis-limiting
qualities of honey with lignocaine. A visual assessment scale permitted scoring
of degrees of mucositis and statistical evaluation of the results was performed
using the χ(2) test. Only 1 of 20 patients in the honey group developed
intolerable oral mucositis compared with the lignocaine group, indicating that
honey is strongly protective (RR=0.067) against the development of mucositis. The
proportion of patients with intolerable oral mucositis was lower in the honey
group and this was statistically significant (p=0.000). Honey applied topically
to the oral mucosa of patients undergoing radiation therapy appears to provide a
distinct benefit by limiting the severity of mucositis. Honey is readily
available, affordable and well accepted by patients making it useful for
improving the quality of life in irradiated patients.
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