Clinical trial · Interventional
Pilocarpine in Preventing Mucositis and Dry Mouth in Patients Receiving Radiation Therapy for Head and Neck Cancer
A Phase III Study to Test the Efficacy of the Prophylactic Use of Oral Pilocarpine to Reduce Hyposalivation and Mucositis Associated With Curative Radiation Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer Patients
- Source
- ClinicalTrials.gov
- Retrieved
- Sep 8, 2026
- Layer
- normalized (units and labels harmonized; values unchanged)
- Run
- ING-CLINICALTRIALS-20260908-000001
Summary
Brief summary (as posted)
RATIONALE: Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Drugs such as pilocarpine may protect normal cells from the side effects of radiation therapy. It is not yet known if pilocarpine may be effective in preventing mucositis and dry mouth in patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer. PURPOSE: Randomized, double-blinded, phase III trial to study the effectiveness of pilocarpine in preventing mucositis and dry mouth in patients receiving radiation therapy for head and neck cancer.
Conditions
Conditions (2)
Free-text conditions as registered, with the CancerIndex entity they were reconciled to and the match type.
| Condition (as posted) | Mapped entity | Match | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Head and Neck Cancer | Malignant Head and Neck Neoplasm | ALIAS | 0.90 |
| Oral Complications | — | UNRESOLVED | — |
Interventions
Interventions (2)
| Intervention | Type | Mapped drug | Match |
|---|---|---|---|
| pilocarpine hydrochloride | Drug | — | UNRESOLVED |
| Placebo | Other | — | UNRESOLVED |
Design
Arms and outcomes
Arms (2)
- type
- EXPERIMENTAL
- label
- Pilocarpine hydrocloride
- description
- 5mg pilocarpine hydrochloride tablets commencing 3 days prior to irradiation
- interventionNames
- Drug: pilocarpine hydrochloride
- type
- PLACEBO_COMPARATOR
- label
- Placebo
- description
- Placebo tablets commencing 3 days prior to irradiation
- interventionNames
- Other: Placebo
Primary outcomes (1)
- measure
- Acute salivary gland toxicity
- timeFrame
- From the start of treatment to 13 weeks
Eligibility
Eligibility (as posted)
- Sex
- All
- Minimum age
- 18 Years
- Maximum age
- 120 Years
Show eligibility criteria text
DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Histologically proven oral cavity and/or oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma Radiation volume to encompass at least 50% of parotid glands and have at least 50 Gy delivered to that volume via external beam No salivary gland malignancies or diseases PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance Status: Karnofsky 60-100% Life Expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Other: Not pregnant or nursing Effective contraceptive method must be used during study No pilocarpine allergy PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: Not specified Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy to head or neck Surgery: Not specified Other: No concurrent adrenergic antagonists, cholinergic drugs, anti-cholinergics, or tricyclics
References
Publications (5)
- RESULTScarantino C, LeVeque F, Swann RS, White R, Schulsinger A, Hodson DI, Meredith R, Foote R, Brachman D, Lee N. Effect of pilocarpine during radiation therapy: results of RTOG 97-09, a phase III randomized study in head and neck cancer patients. J Support Oncol. 2006 May;4(5):252-8. PMID 16724649
- RESULTFisher J, Scott C, Scarantino CW, Leveque FG, White RL, Rotman M, Hodson DI, Meredith RF, Foote R, Bachman DG, Lee N. Phase III quality-of-life study results: impact on patients' quality of life to reducing xerostomia after radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancer--RTOG 97-09. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2003 Jul 1;56(3):832-6. doi: 10.1016/s0360-3016(03)00121-4. PMID 12788192
- RESULTFisher JJ, Scott CB, Scarantino CW, et al.: Phase III quality of life (Qol) study: reduction in hyposalivation does not improve Qol for head and neck (H&N) cancer patients post radiation therapy (P-RT). RTOG 9709. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 21: A-1423, 2002.
- RESULTScarantino CW, Leveque FG, Scott CB, et al.: A phase III study of concomitant oral pilocarpine to reduce hypo-salivation and mucositis associated with curative radiation therapy (RT) in the head and neck (H&N) cancer patients. RTOG 9709. [Abstract] Proceedings of the American Society of Clinical Oncology 20: A-897, 225a, 2001.
- RESULTScarantino CW, Leveque F, Scott C, et al.: A phase III study on the concurrent use of oral pilocarpine to reduce hyposalivation and mucositis associated with radiation therapy in head and neck cancer patients: final results of RTOG 97-09. [Abstract] Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 51(3 suppl 1): A-157, 85-86, 2001.