OBJECTIVE To observe the clinical efficacy of Yangyin Jiedu Decoction in the prevention and treatment of acute radiation-induced oral mucositis (RTOM).

METHODS A total of 80 inpatients who were diagnosed with head and neck tumors by pathological examination and received radiotherapy in the Department of Radiotherapy, Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine from November 2021 to September 2023 were selected and randomly divided into an observation group and a control group with 40 cases in each group. The control group was given mouthwash treatment from the onset of RTOM symptoms until the symptoms disappeared; the observation group was given Yangyin Jiedu Decoction from the first day of radiotherapy on the basis of the treatment of the control group until the end of radiotherapy. During the treatment, the onset time, duration and incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ RTOM in the two groups were observed; the pain numerical rating scale (NRS) score, Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score, body mass index (BMI) changes were evaluated; and the levels of serum inflammatory factors were detected.

RESULTS After radiotherapy, RTOM appeared in both groups to varying degrees. The incidence of grade Ⅱ-Ⅳ RTOM, the onset time, duration and NRS score of RTOM in the observation group were significantly better than those in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). After radiotherapy, the levels of serum CRP, IL-6, IL-1β and TNF-α in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01). After radiotherapy and 1 month of follow-up, the KPS score and BMI in the observation group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05, P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION Yangyin Jiedu Decoction can decrease the incidence and severity of RTOM in patients with head and neck tumors, shorten its duration, improve the quality of life of patients, downregulate the level of inflammatory cytokines, and has a preventive effect on RTOM caused by radiotherapy in patients with head and neck tumors.