Hostname: page-component-6766d58669-l4t7p Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-05-18T02:15:54.371Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Radiotherapeutic effect on oropharyngeal flora in patients with head and neck cancer

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

K. A. Abu Shara ,
M. A. Ghareeb ,
S. Zaher ,
A. Mobacher ,
M. Ch. Khalifa  and
S. Z. Saleh
K. A. Abu Shara*
Affiliation:
Cairo, Egypt
M. A. Ghareeb
Affiliation:
Cairo, Egypt
S. Zaher
Affiliation:
Cairo, Egypt
A. Mobacher
Affiliation:
Cairo, Egypt
M. Ch. Khalifa
Affiliation:
Cairo, Egypt
S. Z. Saleh
Affiliation:
Cairo, Egypt
*
Khairy Alhag Abu Shara, P.O. 3833, Hawally 32069, Kuwait.
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

The affect of radiotherapy on oropharyngeal bacterial flora was studied in the hope that this might help in controlling post-operative infections in previously irradiated patients. Eighty patients were included from whom swabs were taken before and at the end of irradiation, Swabs were also taken two weeks after treatment in the last 40 patients. Thirty healthy controls were included.

It was found that coagulase positive Staphylococcus aureus, β-haemolytic streptococci, Candida albicans, B. proteus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, were significantly increased at the end of irradiation, while Klebsiella was increased significantly in the period after irradiation. Culture and sensitivity was performed for the organisms isolated in the last 40 patients.

From this study it is evident that irradiation has a significant effect on oropharyngeal flora.

Keywords

Head and neck neoplasmsRadiotherapyMicrobiology

Information

Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 107 , Issue 3 , March 1993 , pp. 222 - 227
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Anyans, S., Marfuggi, R. A., Harder, G., Goodie, M. M. (1980) An experimental model to determine the effects of adjuvant therapy on the incidence of post-operative wound infection. Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 65: 328–337.Google Scholar
Baskies, A. M., Chretien, P. B., Baer, S. B. (1982) Radiation therapy, its effects on immune reactivity. Progress in Clinical Cancer 8: 215–226.Google Scholar
Bodey, G. P. (1966) Fungal infections complicating acute leukemia. Journal of Chronic Diseases 19: 667–687.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Freeman, B. A. (1985) Neisseria, the gram negative cocci. In Burrows textbook of microbiology. 22nd Edition. Chap. 16, W. B. Saunder's Company, Tokyo, p 429.Google Scholar
Gerstner, G., Kucera, H., Weghaupt, K., Rotter, M. (1982) Cervicovaginal flora of patients with invasive cervical cancer prior to and following radiotherapy. Geburtshilfe Fraunheilk Und 42: 685–688.Google Scholar
Gotschlich, E. C. (1990) Neisseria. In Bernard's Microbiology. 4th Edition. Chap. 26, J. B. Lippincott Company, Philadelphia, p 553.Google Scholar
Inagaki, J., Rodriguez, V., Bodey, G. P. (1974) Causes of death in cancer patients. Cancer, 33: 568–573.Google Scholar
Kapoor, A. K., Tiwari, M. C., Khan, I. U., Tandon, V. K., Tuteja, N., Siddiqui, J. S., Mehrotra, R. M. (1981) Immune dysfunction followed by immunosuppression after Co60 therapy in patients with malignant tumours. Journal of the Indian Medical Association 77: 45–48.Google Scholar
Llory, H. (1971) Les modification de la fore buccale aerobie après radiotherapie bucco-pharyngee. Archives of Oral Biology 16: 617–630.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Martin, M. V., Al-Takriti, U., Bramley, P. A. (1981) Yeast flora of the mouth and skin during and after irradiation for oral and laryngeal cancer. Journal of Medical Microbiology 14: 457–467.Google Scholar
McCormick, R. D. (1985) Infections in patients with solid tumours. Nursing Clinics of North America 20: 199–205.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morain, W. D., Richmond, R. C.Jacobs, N. J., Douple, E. B., Coughlin, C. T. (1986) Pre-operative irradiation potentiation with cisplatin; effects on rate of wound infection. American Journal of Surgery 152: 446–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Muram, D., Drouin, P., Thompson, F. E., Oxorn, H. (1981) Pyometra. Canadian Medical Association Journal. 125/6: 589–592.Google Scholar
Rice, D. H., Gill, G. (1979) Effect of irradiation upon the bacterial flora in patients with head and neck cancer. Laryngoscope 89: 1839–1841.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Singer, C., Kaplan, M. H., Armstrong, D. (1977) Bacteremia and fungemia complicating neoplastic disease. American Journal of Medicine 62: 731–742.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Skinner, F. A., Carr, J. G. (1975) The normal microbial flora of man. In The Society for Applied Bacteriology, Symposium No 3.Academic Press,London, New York.Google Scholar
Wanebo, H. J., Jun, M. Y., Strong, E. W., Oettgen, H. (1975) T-cell deficiency in patients with squamous cell cancer of the head and neck. American Journal of Surgery, 130: 445–451.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed