Clinical investigation in effect of riboflavin sodium phosphate on prevention and treatment for patients with radiotherapy related esophagitis.

OBJECTIVE To investigate the clinical effect of riboflavin sodium phosphate on prevention of radiotherapy related esophagitis (RRE). METHODS This retrospective study involved 55 patients with middle and advanced esophageal cancer who were divided into an experimental group of 28 and a control group of 27 patients. Those in the experimental group were treated with riboflavin sodium phosphate combined with conventional symptomatic treatment during radiotherapy; while patients in control group received the latter alone. The incidence and degree of RRE were compared after radiotherapy. RESULTS The incidences of RRE in experimental and control group were 53.5% and 81.4%, respectively (p<0.05); the incidence of stages III and IV RRE in the experimental group was 17.8%, while in the control group it was 44.4% (p<0.05). CONCLUSION Riboflavin sodium phosphate could significantly prevent RRE and reduce the incidence of stage III and IV disease. These results were worthy of further confirmation by randomized controlled trials.