BACKGROUND: Oral mucositis is a common side effect of anticancer radiotherapy causing severe ulceration of the mucosal tissues. Recently, melatonin supplements have been proposed as a new therapeutic modality for oral mucositis due to its antioxidant effects, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer properties.
OBJECTIVES: evaluation of the effectiveness of melatonin in reducing pain resulting from radiation induced oral mucositis
MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty patients were randomly assigned to receive either: conventional treatment of oral mucositis, or 20 mg melatonin treatment in combination with the conventional treatment before irradiation, and for six weeks. All patients were evaluated for pain resulting from oral mucositis at three and six weeks after the start of radiotherapy.
RESULTS: Oral mucositis patients in the melatonin group have experienced significantly lower pain scores oral mucositis compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION: Adjuvant melatonin reduced the pain of oral mucositis, and the amount of analgesics used for pain treatment.