A new study for head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy has opened in Aberdeen. It is looking at a new medicine called NG11-2 from the pharmaceutical company VasoDynamics Ltd.
NG11-2 is given as a mouthwash to people before receiving radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. It is hoped it can help prevent severe mucositis [1]. Mucositis in the mouth is a known side effect of radiation therapy in these cancer types. It means that the lining on the inside of the mouth is inflamed and it can be very painful. Currently there are no medicines to treat oral mucositis.
You can find out more about the study here ISRCTN - ISRCTN87831050: A mouthwash medicine for the reduction or prevention of mouth ulceration caused by radiotherapy for head and neck cancer
The study is only open in 6 hospitals in the UK, Aberdeen being one of them. And it was our cancer research team who recruited the first patient in the UK to the study.
Dr Moleron who leads the study locally said: "Oral mucositis remains the main side effect of radiotherapy in head and neck cancer. It is the main cause of hospital admissions and has a very detrimental impact on quality of life for these patients. There is no pharmacological treatment to manage it effectively , so we are very excited to take part in this study that, hopefully, will lead to a better way to manage mucositis and, as a result, an improvement in quality of life for our patients"
We are grateful to the patient for taking part and our research staff for making this important research possible.