The Efficacy of Mouthwash Containing Sodium Azulene Sulfonate and Tranexamic Acid for Managing Chemotherapy Induced Stomatitis : A Retrospective Study

Abstract

Stomatitis is one of the most common side effects caused by anticancer agents. Serious stomatitis leads to eating disorders and deteriorates quality of life significantly. However, no effective treatment has been established. Both sodium azulene sulfonate and tranexamic acid are generally used for stomatitis. Here, we aimed to assess the mouthwash containing these two drugs (A + T mouthwash) for the treatment of chemotherapy-induced stomatitis. In this study, we retrospectively investigated the grade of stomatitis (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 4.0) and subjective symptom before and after the use of A + T mouthwash in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy, and assessed the ef cacy of A + T mouthwash against chemotherapy-induced stomatitis.Forty-four cancer patients (gastric, colon, cholecystitis, breast, ovarian and unknown primary cancer) were included in this study. The severity of stomatitis was signi cantly improved after using A + T mouthwash compared to before using it (P < 0.05). Of the 44 patients, the grade was improved in 25 patients (56.8 ) and the subjective symptom was improved in 36 patients (81.8 ). These results suggest that A + T mouthwash is effective for chemotherapy-induced stomatitis.