Among various therapies administered during radiation-induced mucositis, treatment with immunoglobulin has proven clinically successful. In this study the efficacy of prophylactic applications of immunoglobulin was investigated from January 1992 through August 1993. Forty-two patients with histologically-proven head and neck cancer were given postoperative radiation treatment. In cases with macroscopic tumor residues or inoperability, combined radio-chemotherapy was given. This included 51.3 Gy at 1.9 Gy 5x/week, boosted to 10-26 Gy at 2 Gy 5x/week and carboplatin 60 mg/m2 at days 1-5 and 29-33. Panthenol (4x10 ml/day) and nystatin (4 x 1 ml/day) were given to 20 patients as prophylactic treatment for mucositis. Twenty-two subsequent patients also received intramuscular 800 mg (5 ml) human immunoglobulin (1x/week). According to the Seegenschmiedt/Sauer classification the extent of mucositis was determined 3x/week. Comparison of the distribution of maximal mucositis revealed a slightly more severe mucosal reaction in the control group (n.s.). Analysis of the mean degree of mucositis in both groups demonstrated statistically significant differences (p = 0.031) related to the whole collective and patients receiving concomitant chemotherapy while no effect of immunoglobulin was found in patients treated by radiation alone. In the immunoglobulin-treated-group, the time from the beginning of therapy to the first interruption was prolonged 5 days (37.5 +/- 13.1 vs. 42.7 +/- 13.3 days), but this difference was not significant. Although prophylactic application of immunoglobulin seemed to lower the degree of radiation-induced mucositis, this effect was less significant when compared to the immunoglobulin given in a therapeutic manner.
