Study
Alpha-lipoic acid as a preventive measure in radiation-induced oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: A randomized controlled study.
In 70 radiotherapy patients with head and neck cancer, ALA cut severe oral mucositis from 41.3% to 16.7%.
Summary Can alpha-lipoic acid reduce painful mouth sores during cancer radiation treatment? Show / hide ↓
Researchers randomly assigned 70 people with head and neck cancer to take alpha-lipoic acid, an antioxidant supplement, or a look-alike placebo during radiotherapy, which is radiation treatment. They took 600 milligrams twice daily while receiving treatment. Severe oral mucositis, meaning painful sores and inflammation in the mouth, affected 16.7% of people taking alpha-lipoic acid compared with 41.3% taking placebo. The supplement also delayed severe sores and helped them heal faster, but quality of life was not better and the study reported no major safety problems.
What this means for you: This may be useful for people receiving head and neck radiotherapy, but it does not show that alpha-lipoic acid helps healthy people live longer or prevents cancer. Because this was a small study, larger trials are needed before routinely buying or using it for this purpose.
early evidenceThis randomised controlled study enrolled 70 people with head and neck cancer receiving definitive radiotherapy. Participants took oral alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), 600 mg twice daily, or placebo throughout radiotherapy. The primary outcome was radiation-induced oral mucositis, graded with the Radiotherapy Oncology Group scale. Severe mucositis, grades 3 or 4, occurred in 16.7% of the ALA group and 41.3% of controls (p=0.036). ALA also delayed the onset of severe mucositis (p=0.033) and shortened healing time (p=0.042). Quality-of-life scores changed by 43.33% from baseline with ALA and 44.84% in controls, a non-significant difference. Serum total antioxidant capacity improved with ALA, while C-reactive protein did not. The abstract reports that ALA was safe and tolerable. This is a treatment-support study in patients receiving radiotherapy, not evidence that ALA improves longevity or prevents disease in healthy adults. Its clinically relevant mucositis outcome is more useful than the measured antioxidant marker, but the result applies to a specific cancer-care setting.
ALA significantly reduced the severity and delayed the onset of radiation-induced oral mucositis with a high safety profile.
The population was receiving definitive radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, not healthy adults. The abstract gives no follow-up beyond the radiotherapy period, and quality of life and CRP did not differ significantly.
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