OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy of Honey Plus Aloe Vera in Alleviating Pain from Radiation-Induced Mucositis in Head and Neck Cancer Patients.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The proposed study was a randomized control trial, which was mainly conducted in collaboration with the Radiation Oncology Department at the Jinnah Postgraduate Centre (JPMC) in Karachi and the Pharmacology Department of the Basic Medical Sciences Institute. The study targeted patients that were referred to Radiation Oncology Department JPMC, Karachi for the management of HNC during July 2021 to December 2021. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) of the Basic Medical Science Institute, JPMC Karachi, approved the study. A randomized controlled trial on 80 subjects (40 in test group referred to as HA group and 40 in control group) was undertaken to study the analgesic effect of honey plus aloe vera in combination as better alternate of magic mouthwash in reduction occurrence and severity of pain in patients of HNC developing radiation-induced mucositis. The control group patients were advised to do gargles with magic mouthwash three times a day and test group patients gargled 20 ml honey plus aloe vera solution thrice a day during the entire course of radiation treatment. Patients were examined at baseline i.e. commencement of chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy  (mentioned as 0 week) and then after every 15 days i.e., 2, 4 and 6 week to check the severity of the pain using Numeric Pain Intensity Scale and change in weight of patient. Using different statistical methods/tests for analysis of data, the results were analyzed. p-value < 0.05 was taken as significant.

RESULTS: The study revealed that on Pain Intensity Scale, 17 (42.5%) patients in Control Group were in extreme pain at week 6 against 6 (15%) in HA Group. The results were statistically significant (p value 0.040). The loss of weight was also remarkably lesser in HA Group than Control Group patients.

CONCLUSION: The study concluded that solution of honey plus aloe vera being a cheap, palatable, and natural medicament can be used for decreasing pain associated with radiation-induced mucositis in cancer patients as well as maintaining of the weight during treatment.

KEYWORDS: Cancer, Radiation, Honey, Aloe vera, Pain