Objective: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of clarithromycin combined with tanshinone in the treatment of rhinosinusal and laryngeal radiation injury induced by radiotherapy in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).
Methods: A total of 255 NPC patients with rhinosinusal and laryngeal radiation injury following radiotherapy were randomized into 3 groups for treatment with clarithromycin (group A, n=69), tanshinone (group B, n=69), and clarithromycin + tanshinone (group C, n=69), and the clinical outcomes of the patients were evaluated.
Results: In all the 3 groups the patients responded favorably to the treatments and showed obvious improvements (P<0.05). The therapeutic effects were similar between groups A and B (P>0.05), but the patients in group C showed the most obvious improvements (P<0.05).
Conclusions: Clarithromycin combined with tanshinone can be an effective regimen for treatment of rhinosinusal and laryngeal radiation injury induced by radiotherapy in NPC patients.