Oral Glutamine to reduce stomatitis

Abstract

Glutamine is administered orally at a rate of about 4.5 g/m 2 per day to treat oropharyngeal mucositis. This is administered to patients that experience or may develop oropharyngeal mucositis, especially those caused by chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

1. In a method of treating a patient undergoing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, the improvement comprising administering glutamine or a glutamine analogue orally to  topically to the mouth, of the patient at a rate of about 0.30 to 4.50 g/m 2  per day in addition to the chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, so that stomatitis or esophagitis originating from said chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is alleviated. 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  wherein said patient is receiving chemotherapy with a compound selected from the group consisting of doxorubicin, etoposide, 5-fluorouracil, ±folinic acid, methotrexate, daunomycin, actinomycin D and high doses of cytosine arabinoside. 
     
     
       3. A method for increasing the therapeutic index of chemotherapy or radiotherapy to a patient comprising administering gluatmine or a glutamine analog to said patient orally at a rate of about 0.30 g/m 2  to about 4.5 g/m 2  daily during the course of such chemotherapy or radiotherapy. 
     
     
       4. A method for lessening a need to reduce chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy due to stomatitis or esophagitis in a patient undergoing such chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy comprising administering glutamine or a glutamine analog to  topically to the mouth, of said patient orally  at a rate of about 0.30 g/m 2  to about 4.5 g/m 2  daily during and after the course of such chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, so that the stomatitis or esophagitis is alleviated. 
     
     
       5. A method for alleviating stomatitis or esophagitis originating from treatment with chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, comprising administering an effective amount of glutamine or a glutamine analog to  topically to the mouth, of a patient subject to the treatment with the chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, so that said stomatitis and esophagitis is alleviated. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 ,  4 , or  5 , wherein the glutamine is administered in combination with a liquid carrier.  
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 ,  4  or  5 , wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with sucrose.  
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the sucrose is an aqueous sucrose solution.  
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 ,  4  or  5  wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with glycerin. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 7  wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with glycerin.  
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 ,  4  or  5  wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with sorbitol.  
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 7  wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with sorbitol.  
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 9  wherein the gluatmine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with sorbitol.  
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 10  wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in combination with sorbitol.  
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 6  wherein the glutamine or glutamine analog is administered in an aqueous suspension comprising an effective amount of a suspending agent.