Capsaicin Lozenges in Treating Patients With Mucositis Caused by Radiation Therapy

Phase III Comparison of Oral Capsaicin Lozenge Versus Placebo Lozenge for Radiation-Induced Mucositis

Status

Completed

Phases

Phase 3

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT00003610

Enrollment

Registered

2004-07-22

Start date

1998-10-31

Completion date

2006-07-31

Last updated

2016-07-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Head and Neck Cancer, Radiation Toxicity

Brief summary

RATIONALE: Capsaicin lozenges may be effective treatment for mucositis caused by radiation therapy. It is not yet known whether capsaicin lozenges are more effective than no treatment for mucositis caused by radiation therapy. PURPOSE: Randomized phase III trial to study the effectiveness of capsaicin lozenges in treating patients with mucositis caused by radiation therapy.

Detailed description

OBJECTIVES: I. Determine the efficacy of capsaicin lozenges in terms of frequency, duration, and severity of mouth pain caused by radiation therapy to the oral cavity. II. Evaluate the toxicity of this regimen in these patients. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled study. Patients are stratified according to dentures (yes vs no), smoking history (none vs currently vs past only), radiation therapy (primary vs postoperative adjuvant), planned radiation dose (5000-6000 cGy vs greater than 6000 cGy), planned fluoride use (yes vs no), and amount of oral mucosa in radiation field (one- to two-thirds vs greater than two-thirds). Patients receive one lozenge orally of capsaicin or placebo four times daily. Treatment begins within the first 3 days of radiation therapy and continues during and for two weeks after radiation therapy is completed.

Interventions

DIETARY_SUPPLEMENTcapsaicin

OTHERplacebo

RADIATIONradiation therapy

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: Scheduled to receive radiation treatment to at least one third of the oral cavity at a total dose of at least 5000 cGy using 200 cGy/fraction Must be entered on study within first 3 days of radiation No open mouth sores at study entry PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: Age: 18 and over Performance status: Not specified Life expectancy: Not specified Hematopoietic: Not specified Hepatic: Not specified Renal: Not specified Other: No known intolerance to capsaicin No allergy to citric acid, cherry flavorings, or FC and C red dye #3 or #40 PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: Biologic therapy: Not specified Chemotherapy: No concurrent chemotherapy Endocrine therapy: Not specified Radiotherapy: No prior radiotherapy to the oral mucosa Surgery: Not specified Other: No requirement for tube feeding

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
frequency of mouth pain	Up to 2 weeks post-radiation treatment
duration of mouth pain	Up to 2 weeks post-radiation treatment
severity of mouth pain	Up to 2 weeks post-radiation treatment

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026