The Efficacy of Curcumin Mouthwash in Coconut Oil Solvent for Preventing Oral Mucositis in Locally Advanced Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy

Background: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of curcumin mouthwash in preventing and relieving CCRT-induced severe oral mucositis Methods: We conducted a blinded, randomized controlled trial in patients with head and neck cancer receiving definite CCRT with 3-weekly cisplatin. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to receive curcumin mouthwash (MW) or normal saline solution (NSS) MW. Results: Thirty patients were enrolled in this study. Ten patients in the curcumin MW group and 13 patients in the NSS MW group were analyzed. The incidence of severe oral mucositis (grade 3–4 defined by the WHO grading scale) was reduced in the curcumin MW group at weeks 4, 7, and 10. However, it was not statistically different. The severity of oral mucositis was significantly reduced in the curcumin MW group at week 4 (mean = 0.09 vs 0.32, p = 0.016). There was no significant toxicities or safety concerns for curcumin MW. Conclusions: The incidence and severity of oral mucositis trend to decreased in curcumin MW group compared with the NSS MW group. These results indicated the feasibility and acceptability for curcumin MW in locally advanced head and neck cancer patients undergoing CCRT