Observational studySupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2019
Effects of herbal medicine for xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients: an observational study in a tertiary cancer hospital.
Observational study in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Integrated Bioinformatics and Experimental Validation Reveal Fuzheng Yi'ai Formula Induces Immunogenic Cell Death Via the PERK-eIF2α-ATF4 Pathway for Prostate Cancer Treatment.Biological procedures online · 2026Article
- Article
- Beyond Conventional Treatments: The Role of Complementary Therapies in Head and Neck Cancer.Cancers · 2025Review
- Importance of phytotherapy for oral health care and quality of life in adults: A scoping review.Journal of dental sciences · 2024Article
- A systematic review of medicinal plants and herbal products' effectiveness in oral health and dental cure with health promotion approach.Journal of education and health promotion · 2023Review
- State of Rehabilitation Research in the Head and Neck Cancer Population: Functional Impact vs. Impairment-Focused Outcomes.Current oncology reports · 2022Review
- General Use of Chinese Herbal Products among Female Patients with Mastitis in Taiwan.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM · 2022Article
- Deciphering potential pharmacological mechanism of Sha-Shen-Mai-Dong decoction on primary Sjogren's syndrome.BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2021Article
- Principles and treatment strategies for the use of Chinese herbal medicine in patients at different stages of coronavirus infection.American journal of cancer research · 2020Review
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 4 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeMore than 80% head and neck cancer patients endured radiotherapy-induced xerostomia which impacts their quality of life (QoL). This observational study evaluated the effect of herbal treatment on head and neck cancer patients' xerostomia and QoL.
methodsHead and neck cancer patients were recruited from July 2016 till March 2017 at National Cancer Institute, Ministry of Health, Malaysia. All study participants continued their standard oncology surveillance. Treatment group participants additionally received Chinese herbal treatment. The assessments included unstimulated salivary flow rate (USFR), stimulated salivary flow rate (SSFR), and QoL questionnaire.
resultsOf 42 recruited participants, 28 were in the treatment group and 14 were in the control group. Participants were mainly Chinese (71.4%), stage III cancer (40.5%), and had nasopharynx cancer (76.2%). The commonly used single herbs were Wu Mei, San Qi, and Tian Hua Fen. Sha Shen Mai Dong Tang, Liu Wei Di Huang Wan, and Gan Lu Yin were the frequently prescribed herbal formulas. The baseline characteristics, USFR, SSFR, and QoL between control and treatment groups were comparable (p > 0.05). USFR between control and treatment groups were similar throughout the 6-month study period. SSFR for the treatment group significantly improved from 0.15 ± 0.28 ml/min (baseline) to 0.32 ± 0.22 ml/min (p = 0.04; at the 3rd month) and subsequently achieved 0.46 ± 0.23 ml/min (p = 0.001; at the 6th month). The treatment group had better QoL in terms of speech (p = 0.005), eating (p = 0.02), and head and neck pain (p = 0.04) at the 6th month.
conclusionHerbal treatment may improve xerostomia and QoL in post-radiotherapy head and cancer patients.
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