The Effect of Vitamin E Therapy on Post Chemotherapy Mucositis in Leukemic Patients

Introduction: Chemotherapy is one of the most common treatment modalities for blood malignancies such as leukemia, with several potential complications. Mucositis is one of the complications of chemotherapy, manifested with different severities. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prophylactic effect of vitamin E on reducing the severity of chemotherapy-induced mucositis. Materials & Methods: This randomized clinical trial was performed in Ahvaz’s Shafa Hospital on 56 leukemic patients, undergoing chemotherapy. The patients were divided into 3 groups: 1) systemic treatment group, case group 1; 2) topical treatment group, the case group 2; and 3) control group. The oral mucosa of the patients was evaluated for the severity of mucositis and the patient’s response to pain. Data were analyzed with Mann-Whitney test and t-test (α = 0.05). Results: In relation to the severity of mucositis, based on the results of Mann-Whitney test, there was a significant difference between the case group 2 and control group (p value ≤ 0.01). There was no significant difference between the two case groups (p value = 0.2). In relation to the patient’s response to pain, there was a significant difference between the case group 2 and control group (p value ≤ 0.01). There was no significant difference between the two case groups (p value = 0.4). Therefore, vitamin E decreased the incidence of thermotherapy-induced mucositis. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, vitamin E in its topical form is an effective medicament for reducing the severity and pain of chemotherapy-induced mucositis