Abstract Background Radiation-induced oral mucositis (RIOM) is a common and debilitating complication of radiotherapy in oral cancer patients, significantly impairing quality of life and potentially interrupting treatment. This study evaluated the therapeutic efficacy of N-acetylcysteine (NAC) nano-spray in managing RIOM, with particular emphasis on mucositis severity, quality of life, and serum gastrin-17 levels. Materials and methods In this randomized clinical study, 40 oral cancer patients undergoing radiotherapy were allocated in a 1:1 ratio to receive either NAC nano-spray ( n = 20) or conventional therapy ( n = 20) for six weeks. Mucositis severity was assessed using the World Health Organization (WHO) Oral Mucositis Severity Scale, and quality of life was evaluated using the Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14). Serum gastrin-17 levels were measured before and after treatment. Results Patients treated with NAC nano-spray demonstrated a significant reduction in WHO mucositis grades and significantly improved OHIP-14 scores compared with the control group ( p < 0.05). Additionally, a significant increase in serum gastrin-17 levels was observed in the NAC group relative to conventional therapy ( p < 0.05). These effects were evident during radiotherapy and at the end of treatment. Conclusions N-acetylcysteine nano-spray appears to be an effective therapeutic option for the management of RIOM, reducing mucositis severity and improving quality of life in oral cancer patients. Trial registration The trial was registered at Clinical Trials .gov on 24/7/2025, registration number: (NCT07082621).
Essam et al. (Fri,) studied this question.