Abstract
BACKGROUND: Radiation mucositis is an early effect of head and neck radiotherapy. Mucositis can cause ulcers, and patients may experience pain and dysphagia which need proper management. This study was conducted in 60 patients with oral malignancy. AIM: To evaluate the effect of natural honey and 0.15% benzydamine hydrochloride on onset and severity of radiation mucositis and to compare it with control. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted in the Department of Oral Medicine and Radiology, Tamilnadu Government Dental College and Hospital, Chennai, from April to December 2010. The sample size comprised of 60 patients, of both genders, diagnosed with oral malignancy clinically and histopathologically and planned for radiotherapy. The patients were assigned into three groups by random sampling. Each group consisted of 20 patients. Group 1 patients were instructed for topical application of natural honey, groups 2 and 3 were instructed for topical application of 0.15% benzydamine hydrochloride and 0.9% normal saline respectively. The onset of mucositis and the severity of mucositis were graded during the course of the radiotherapy and two weeks after radiotherapy, with WHO mucositis grading in all the three groups and statistically analysed with SPSS version 11 software. RESULTS: A significant reduction in mucositis in honey-received patients compared with 0.15% benzydamine hydrochloride, 0.9% normal saline applied patients occurred. The differences between the groups were statistically significant (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Pure natural honey can be an effective agent in managing radiation induced oral mucositis. Honey could be a simple, potent and inexpensive agent, which is easily available, and it can be a better therapeutic agent in managing radiation mucositis in developing countries like India for the management of this morbidity.