| [Objective] There is few report on the xerostomia of the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma aider conventional radiation therapy. Xerostomia is a serious, permanent, and ubiquitous sequelae in the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma aider conventional radiation therapy. It has a significant impact on the patient's quality of life. This study was designed to investigate the severity ofxerostomia and its impact on the quality of life in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma aider conventional radiation therapy. At the same time to investigate whether or not xerostomia can recover completely? And to observe the effect of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM)[Methods] Sixty-nine patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma, treated by conventional radiation therapy ,were surveyed by interview at the outpatient or interview by telephone on the issue ofxerostomia. A questionnaire and a visual analoy scale (VAS) were used in analysis of xerostomia and xerostomia-related problems.[Results] of 69 patients, 53.6% of the patients experienced a moderate to severe degree ofxerostomia; 14.4% of the patients had to wake up drink water because of dry mouth; 67.77% of the patients had to sip water to facilitate speech; 69 patients changed their feeding pattern in different degree, 92.8% of the patients had to sip water to facilitate chewing and swallowing; 66.7% of the patients had teeth deteriorated. There were significant difference between the two groups which were taking Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) consistently or not;[Conclusions] 53.6% of the patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma after conventional radiation therapy experienced a moderate to severe degree of xerostomia. Xerostomia has a significant impact on the patient's speech, deglutition, sleep, and increases the morbidity rate of the tooth. Xerostomia can not recover completely ; Chinese herbal medicine therapy can release the degree of dry mouth and improve the quality of life in patients with NPC aider conventional radiation therapy.
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