ecancermedicalscience

Research

A randomised prospective study of extended tocopherol and pentoxifylline therapy, in addition to carbogen, in the treatment of radiation late effects

9 Jun 2008
S Brennan, O Salib, C O'Shea, M Moriarty

Purpose: pentoxifylline (PTX) and tocopherol (vitamin E) are antioxidants previously shown to be useful in combination in the treatment of late radiation induced toxicity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the benefit of combination therapy with carbogen pentoxifylline and tocopherol in the mitigation of late radiation effects. As the optimal duration of PTX and tocopherol treatment has not been fully established, we studied short versus extended treatment duration.

Methods: we conducted a phase II prospective randomised study of short versus prolonged treatment with pentoxifylline (800 mg) and tocopherol (1000 IU) orally once daily in patients with grade three toxicity post-radical radiotherapy. In addition, all 18 patients received inhaled carbogen (95% O + 5% CO2) over 90 minutes, five days/week, for three weeks. The primary end point was improved in maximum Lent-Soma toxicity scores.

Results: maximum Lent-Soma scores improved in six of the 18 patients (response rate 33%). The proportion of patients responding to treatment in the prolonged treatment arm B was more than double than in the shorter arm A, but this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.321). Two patients who had prolonged treatment (arm B) had complete resolution of their symptoms, which was maintained at two and three year follow-ups.

Conclusions: we recommend prolonged treatment for 12 months, with PTX and tocopherol in combination with carbogen therapy, in the management of late radiation effects.

Related Articles

Ademola Oluwatosin Oyekan, Omolara Aminat Fatiregun, Muhammad Habeebu, Ifeanyichukwu Augustine Onyeodi, Adebayo Deborah Adeoluwa
Oluwaseyi K Idowu, Adewumi O Alabi, Ibijoke A Idowu, Opeyemi I Olusunmade, Bright A Igbinoba, Abdulwahab Ajani, Mohammed Y M Habeebu, Jane U Igwilo, Kolawole O Aramide, Eyitayo O Alabi, Fatimah B Abdulkareem, Samuel U Eyesan, Suleiman O Giwa
Anass Baladi, Mohammed El Fadli, Hassan Abdelilah Tafenzi, Kawtar El Bouaouidi, Nada Benhima, Leila Afani, Ismail Essâdi, Rhizlane Belbaraka
Ankita Chitre, Akhil Kapoor, Bipinesh Sansar, Anuj Gupta, Praveen Lakshmanamurthy, Somnath Dey, Kunal Vinayak, Ajit Sahoo, Navneet Kaur, Sumaiya Azeem, Dipti Kadu, Akash Anand Shrivastav
Godwin Uwagba, Adedayo Joseph, Muhammed Habeebu, Eben Aje, Aishat Oladipo, Olufunmilayo Fagbemide, Precious Akowe, Azeezat Ajose, Adebayo Abe, Samuel Adeneye, Ibrahim Elhamamsi, Abdallah Kotkat, Nusirat Adedewe, Inioluwa Ariyo, Wonuola Adetugbogbo, Francis Durosinmi-Etti
Natalia Camejo, Camila Montenegro, Dahiana Amarillo, Cecilia Castillo, Gabriel Krygier