Acetylcysteine Rinse in Reducing Saliva Thickness and Mucositis in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy
Condition: Mucositis; Oral Complications; Recurrent Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Recurrent Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Recurrent Lymphoepithelioma of the Nasopharynx; Recurrent Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Recurrent Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Recurrent Salivary Gland Cancer; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx; Recurrent Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Recurrent Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Recurrent Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage I Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage I Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Stage I Lymphoepithelioma of the Nasopharynx; Stage I Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Stage I Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage I Salivary Gland Cancer; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx; Stage I Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Stage I Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage I Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage II Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage II Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Stage II Lymphoepithelioma of the Nasopharynx; Stage II Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Stage II Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage II Salivary Gland Cancer; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx; Stage II Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Stage II Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage II Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage III Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage III Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Stage III Lymphoepithelioma of the Nasopharynx; Stage III Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Stage III Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage III Salivary Gland Cancer; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx; Stage III Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Stage III Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage III Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IV Lymphoepithelioma of the Nasopharynx; Stage IV Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Nasopharynx; Stage IVA Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVA Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Stage IVA Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Stage IVA Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVA Salivary Gland Cancer; Stage IVA Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVA Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage IVA Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Stage IVA Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVA Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Stage IVB Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Stage IVB Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Salivary Gland Cancer; Stage IVB Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVB Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage IVB Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Stage IVB Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVB Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Lip; Stage IVC Lymphoepithelioma of the Oropharynx; Stage IVC Mucoepidermoid Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Salivary Gland Cancer; Stage IVC Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVC Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Lip and Oral Cavity; Stage IVC Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Oropharynx; Stage IVC Verrucous Carcinoma of the Larynx; Stage IVC Verrucous Carcinoma of the Oral Cavity; Tongue Cancer
MeSH terms: Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Laryngeal Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Basal Cell; Oropharyngeal Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Verrucous; Squamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and Neck; Salivary Gland Neoplasms; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma; Carcinoma, Adenoid Cystic; Carcinoma, Mucoepidermoid; Mucoepidermoid Tumor; Tongue Neoplasms; Mucositis; Laryngeal Diseases; Recurrence
Intervention: acetylcysteine; placebo; quality-of-life assessment; questionnaire administration
Intervention description: Oral rinse; Oral rinse; Ancillary studies; Ancillary studies
Intervention MeSH terms: Acetylcysteine; N-monoacetylcystine
Phase: Phase 2
Study type: Interventional
Primary purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Double (Participant, Investigator)
Enrollment: 34.0
Sex: All
Minimum age: 18 Years
Healthy volunteers: No

Summary:

      This randomized pilot clinical trial studies whether acetylcysteine oral rinse will lessen
      saliva thickness and painful mouth sores in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing
      radiation therapy. Side effects from radiation therapy to the head and neck, such as
      thickened saliva and mouth sores, may interfere with activities of daily living such as
      eating and drinking, and may also cause treatment to be stopped or delayed. Acetylcysteine
      rinse may reduce saliva thickness and mouth sores, and improve quality of life in patients
      with head and neck cancer undergoing radiation therapy.
    

Eligibility criteria:

        Inclusion Criteria:

          -  Histological confirmation of tumor of the oral cavity, oropharynx, supraglottic
             larynx, or nasopharynx

          -  Receiving concurrent chemoradiotherapy/chemobiotherapy to a minimum dose equivalent to
             60 Gy in 30 fractions in the adjuvant or definitive setting

          -  Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status (PS) 0, 1 or 2

          -  Initiation of investigational agent =< 3 days after initiation of radiotherapy

          -  Negative pregnancy test done =< 7 days prior to registration, for women of
             childbearing potential only

          -  Ability to complete questionnaire(s) by themselves or with assistance

          -  Provide informed written consent

          -  Willing to return mail-in questionnaires during the observation phase of the study

        Exclusion Criteria:

          -  Any of the following:

               -  Pregnant women

               -  Nursing women

               -  Men or women of childbearing potential who are unwilling to employ adequate
                  contraception

          -  Co-morbid systemic illnesses or other severe concurrent disease which, in the judgment
             of the investigator, would make the patient inappropriate for entry into this study or
             interfere significantly with the proper assessment of safety and toxicity of the
             prescribed regimens

          -  Immunocompromised patients and patients known to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)
             positive and currently receiving antiretroviral therapy; NOTE: patients known to be
             HIV positive, but without clinical evidence of an immunocompromised state, are
             eligible for this trial

          -  Uncontrolled intercurrent illness including, but not limited to, ongoing or active
             infection, symptomatic congestive heart failure, unstable angina pectoris, cardiac
             arrhythmia, or psychiatric illness/social situations that would limit compliance with
             study requirements

          -  Receiving any other investigational agent which would be considered as a treatment for
             the primary neoplasm

          -  History of myocardial infarction =< 6 months, or congestive heart failure requiring
             use of ongoing maintenance therapy for life-threatening ventricular arrhythmias

          -  Receipt of induction chemotherapy

          -  Previous receipt of head and neck irradiation

          -  Utilization of amifostine during radiotherapy

          -  Greater than or equal to grade 2 dry mouth prior to chemoradiotherapy or greater than
             or equal to grade 2 mucositis

          -  Previous intolerance/adverse effect/allergy to any component of the placebo or active
             agent

          -  History of Sjogren's, lupus or scleroderma