TY - JOUR
T1 - The impact of medications on salivary flow and oral health-related quality of life in postradiation head and neck cancer patients
T2 - results of the OraRad study
AU - Rose, Adam M.
AU - Helgeson, Erika S.
AU - Valentino, Kimberly C.
AU - Lalla, Rajesh V.
AU - Treister, Nathaniel S.
AU - Schmidt, Brian L.
AU - Patton, Lauren L.
AU - Lin, Alexander
AU - Brennan, Michael T.
AU - Sollecito, Thomas P.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Authors
PY - 2025/11
Y1 - 2025/11
N2 - Objectives: To determine the relationships between the number and class of xerogenic medications on whole stimulated salivary flow rates and oral health-related quality of life (OH-QOL) measures in patients who received high-dose external beam radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). Study Design: Complete medication lists were generated using patient electronic health records from every attended study visit for 146 HNC patients. Whole stimulated salivary flow was measured before RT, and 6 and 18-months after RT. Ten single-item questions and two composite scales of swallowing problems and senses problems (taste and smell) were assessed at baseline and at 6-month intervals up to 24 months after RT. Linear mixed-effects models examined associations between the total number and class of medications and stimulated salivary flow and OH-QOL. Results: There was no detected association between the total number of medications and stimulated salivary flow (p-value = .18). Only antidepressant usage was significantly associated with stimulated salivary flow (P = .006). Number of medications, narcotic analgesic, and antidepressant usage were significantly associated with a clinically meaningful decrease in OH-QOL. Conclusion: Antidepressants were associated with reduced stimulated salivary flow, but no cumulative negative effect on whole stimulated salivary flow was identified. Polypharmacy was associated with worse OH-QOL.
AB - Objectives: To determine the relationships between the number and class of xerogenic medications on whole stimulated salivary flow rates and oral health-related quality of life (OH-QOL) measures in patients who received high-dose external beam radiation therapy (RT) for head and neck cancer (HNC). Study Design: Complete medication lists were generated using patient electronic health records from every attended study visit for 146 HNC patients. Whole stimulated salivary flow was measured before RT, and 6 and 18-months after RT. Ten single-item questions and two composite scales of swallowing problems and senses problems (taste and smell) were assessed at baseline and at 6-month intervals up to 24 months after RT. Linear mixed-effects models examined associations between the total number and class of medications and stimulated salivary flow and OH-QOL. Results: There was no detected association between the total number of medications and stimulated salivary flow (p-value = .18). Only antidepressant usage was significantly associated with stimulated salivary flow (P = .006). Number of medications, narcotic analgesic, and antidepressant usage were significantly associated with a clinically meaningful decrease in OH-QOL. Conclusion: Antidepressants were associated with reduced stimulated salivary flow, but no cumulative negative effect on whole stimulated salivary flow was identified. Polypharmacy was associated with worse OH-QOL.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105012893591
UR - https://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=105012893591&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.oooo.2025.06.019
DO - 10.1016/j.oooo.2025.06.019
M3 - Article
C2 - 40784870
AN - SCOPUS:105012893591
SN - 2212-4403
VL - 140
SP - 577
EP - 586
JO - Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
JF - Oral Surgery, Oral Medicine, Oral Pathology and Oral Radiology
IS - 5
ER -
