Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32803294›Full record

ArticleJournal of cancer research and clinical oncology2021

Effects of N-acetylcysteine inhalation therapy on the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancer who are receiving radiation therapy: a prospective non-randomized controlled multi-center study.

Ho-Ryun Won, Geon Ho Lee, Jin Hwan Kim, Sang Hyuk Lee, Soon Young Kwon, Seung-Kuk Baek, Chang Hwan Ryu, Sang Joon Lee, Il-Seok Park, Sung-Chan Shin and 3 more

Open access · greenAbstract readMulticenter Study
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 34% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 4 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. N-acetylcysteine mouthwash for prevention of oral mucositis in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients: a double-blind randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Trial
  2. Trial
  3. Radiomitigators: Breakthroughs in Post-Radiation Recovery.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
    Review
  4. Interventions to improve quality of life in patients with head and neck cancers receiving radiation therapy: a scoping review.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2023
    Article
  5. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 8 institutions in 1 country.

Ho-Ryun WonDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, 640 Daesa-Dong, Chung-Gu, Daejeon, 301-721, Republic of Korea.
Geon Ho LeeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, 640 Daesa-Dong, Chung-Gu, Daejeon, 301-721, Republic of Korea.
Jin Hwan KimDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sang Hyuk LeeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Soon Young KwonDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University Ansan Hospital, College of Medicine, Ansan, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Kuk BaekDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Chang Hwan RyuDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, National Cancer Center, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Sang Joon LeeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dankook University College of Medicine, 201 Manghyang-ro Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea.
Il-Seok ParkDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Republic of Korea.
Sung-Chan ShinDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
Dong Wook LeeDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Republic of Korea.
Phil-Sang Chung *Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Dankook University College of Medicine, 201 Manghyang-ro Dongnam-gu, Cheonan, 31116, Republic of Korea. pschung@dankook.ac.kr.
Bon Seok Koo *Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chungnam National University College of Medicine, 640 Daesa-Dong, Chung-Gu, Daejeon, 301-721, Republic of Korea. bskoo515@cnuh.co.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5928-0006
Chungnam National University · KRHallym University · KRKangbuk Samsung Hospital · KRKorea University · KRChungbuk National University Hospital · KRDankook University · KRNational Cancer Center · KRPusan National University Hospital · KR

Funding

National Research Foundation of Korea 2019R1A2C1084125National Research Foundation of Korea 2019R1C1C1006453National Research Foundation of Korea 2019R1H1A2079938
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgrounds and purposeRadiation therapy is an important mode of treatment for patients with head and neck cancers, but some associated complications can reduce the quality of life. We investigated whether N-acetylcysteine inhalation therapy improved the quality of life of such patients. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe designed a prospective, non-randomized controlled multi-center study involving 10 institutions. We enrolled 120 patients (80 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group). Patients in the experimental group inhaled nebulized liquid N-acetylcysteine (2400 mg daily) for 8 weeks from the start of radiation therapy. Quality of life was assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire H&N 35.

resultsN-acetylcysteine inhalation was not associated with any side effect or discomfort. The reduction in painkiller use from the end of N-acetylcysteine inhalation therapy to the 1-month follow-up was greater in the experimental group than in the control group (P = 0.014). Dry mouth symptoms also improved significantly in the experimental group (P = 0.019).

conclusionN-acetylcysteine inhalation improves the quality of life of patients with head and neck cancers who are receiving radiation therapy, without any specific side effect.

Indexed as

Quality of LifeAcetylcysteineAgedFemaleHead and Neck NeoplasmsHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesRadiation InjuriesRespiratory TherapyStomatitisAcetylcysteineHead and neck cancerN-acetylcysteineOral mucositisQuality of lifeRadiation therapy

Identifiers

PMID32803294
PMCPMC11801940
OpenAlexW3049043860

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.