Biomedical subjects

S Villa

Publications and source records attributed to S Villa.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Variation of POP concentrations in fresh-fallen snow and air on an Alpine glacier (Monte Rosa).

To understand better the mechanisms ruling the fate of POPs (persistent organic pollutants) in cold environments, a field campaign sampling fresh-fallen snow and air on an Alpine glacier was carried out during Summer 2003. The concentrations of all analyzed chemicals in fresh-fallen snow show a sharp decrease over time, particularly for the more volatile POPs, confirming the rather limited literature evidence of a rapid decline of such substances from the snowpack and/or ice. Even if the results presented here are preliminary and should be confirmed by further studies, some evidence of the influence of a night/day cycle of temperature on POP deposition and revolatilization mechanisms has been highlighted. Finally, the role of cold condensation and long-range atmospheric transport in the contamination of higher altitudes in this Alpine system has been substantiated, particularly for OC pesticides.

Air Pollutants↗

PubMed2005

Chemical interactions with snow: understanding the behavior and fate of semi-volatile organic compounds in snow.

Snow plays an important role in providing atmospherically derived semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) to regions of high latitude and altitude. The accumulated winter snowpack serves as a reservoir for SVOCs, which may then be released to arctic/alpine catchments during seasonal snowmelt or entrained into deeper layers of snow and ice. This paper provides a review of the occurrence of SVOCs in snow, exploring sampling methodologies and field measurements. Furthermore, chemical fate following snowfall and the propensity of SVOCs to undergo revolatilization with snow metamorphosis are examined along with air-snow partitioning and the role of physical parameters such as snow density and snow surface area in controlling vapor-sorbed levels. Snowmelt and firnification processes are described, and the latter are related to SVOC measurements made in deeper snow layers and glacial ice cores. Evidence is provided that suggests that those SVOCs that possess relatively higher snow interfacial/air partitioning coefficients (K(iasnow)) or lower Henry's Law constants may be more efficiently retained in snow, with implications for the occurrence of currently used pesticides in the temperate mountain snowpack.

Diffusion↗

PubMed2005

Rapid changes in PCB and OC pesticide concentrations in arctic snow.

The short-term fate of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) and organochlorine (OC) pesticides in the surface snowpack was investigated by taking consecutive air and snow samples over a 12 day period at Tromsø in the Norwegian Arctic. A wide range in PCB and OC pesticide concentrations was observed in snow and was attributed to the systematic decrease in concentrations that occurred over the study period. For example, sigmaPCB concentrations ranged from 2500 to 300 pg L(-1) (meltwater) with a rapid decrease observed during the first 96 h. Rates of decline (ks) conformed to first-order kinetics, with similar rates observed for all compounds measured in this study (k5 = 0.01 +/- 0.001 h(-1)). Because the particle bound fraction accounted for <10% of the individual PCB and OC burden in the snow, then the fraction lost may be accounted for by desorption, following notable increases in snow density (and presumably, decreases in snow surface area). The fraction of chemical present in the fresh snow (phis) was found to be exponentially related to changes in snow density (deltarho). Relatively small increases in p following snowfall result in a large loss of sorbed chemical, presumably due to decreases in snow surface area. Later sampling of the same snow layer, but buried under fresh snowfall, revealed a notable increase in both PCB and OC concentrations. This would indicate a possible downward migration of these chemicals from the fresh snow into deeper snow layers, suggesting that re-emission of desorbed chemical from the interstitial pore spaces to the overlying atmosphere may be complicated by this process.

Arctic Regions↗

PubMed2005

Polychlorinated naphthalenes in air and snow in the Norwegian Arctic: a local source or an Eastern Arctic phenomenon?

PCNs were measured in air and snow during separate field campaigns at Ny-Alesund (April 2001) and Tromsø (February/March 2003) in the Norwegian Arctic. Air concentrations ranged from 27 to 48 and 9 to 47 pg sigmaPCN m(-3) for Ny-Alesund (n=6) and Tromsø (n=10), respectively. These concentrations (including the tri-chlorinated naphthalenes) greatly exceeded concentrations previously measured in the Canadian Arctic, but did fall within the upper range of concentrations observed over the eastern Arctic Ocean and regional seas. Local sources appear to be affecting concentrations observed at both sites, with the presence of several hexa-chlorinated naphthalenes at Tromsø probably attributed to local/regional sources. Use of air mass back trajectories at Tromsø revealed that background air concentrations in the Norwegian Arctic are likely to range between <9 and 20 pg sigmaPCN m(-3) and that contemporary concentrations derived close to potential sources (i.e. arctic towns) may equal or exceed those of PCBs. The mean concentration in surface snow was 350 and 240 pg sigmaPCN L(-1) (meltwater) (or 0.014 and 0.01 pg g(-1) (snow)) at Ny-Alesund and Tromsø, respectively. The wide variation in concentrations observed between fresh snowfalls could be explained by different snow densities (as a surrogate of snow surface area), rather than attributed to varying air concentrations. A statistically significant inverse relationship was found between snow density and concentrations of tri- to penta-chlorinated homologues and compliments similar findings for the polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). This suggests that the vapour-sorbed quantity changes rapidly with snow ageing/compaction; with implications for the fate of these chemicals in the Arctic.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Use and validation of novel snow samplers for hydrophobic, semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs).

Two novel gas-tight snow samplers (snow-can and snow-tube) are presented and the performance of the snow-can in a field trial was assessed. The methodology for the sampling, extraction and analysis of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) are detailed. These samplers allow the various components of a snow sample to be analysed separately; these included the meltwater (MW), particulate matter (GFF) and vapour in the headspace (HS). Snow samples collected on the Punta Indren glacier in the Italian Alps revealed the occurrence of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OC). Replicate samples of the same snow type were undertaken as a test of sampling precision. Relative standard deviations (RSDs) for SigmaPCBs and SigmaPAHs were approximately 30% and approximately 35% respectively. The lowest precision was found for the particle-laden snow, notably for the heavier PCB homologues. For the chlorinated compounds, the pesticides lindane and endosulfan-I had the highest levels in snow, with mean concentrations of 402 and 103 pgl(-1) (snow meltwater) respectively. The vapour present in the headspace (HS) comprised a minor component of a collected sample for all compounds, but HS concentrations for three lighter PAHs gave good agreement with those calculated based on their dimensionless Henry's law constants. This suggests that volatilisation during melting of aged snow-can be reasonably predicted with knowledge of the temperature-dependent Henry's law constant.

Altitude↗

PubMed2004

Single-agent epirubicin as primary chemotherapy in T2-T3, N0-N2, M0 breast carcinoma: 6-year follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: Single-agent epirubicin was tested as primary chemotherapy treatment in patients with early breast cancer >3 cm. METHODS: 100 women with locally advanced breast cancer >3 cm were treated with three cycles of single-agent epirubicin at a dose of 120 mg/m2. All patients showing tumor shrinkage to less than 3 cm were considered candidates for conservative surgery (quadrantectomy); in the remaining patients modified radical mastectomy was carried out. Postsurgical treatment consisted of CMF chemotherapy except for postmenopausal node-positive, estrogen-positive patients who were assigned to hormonal treatment with tamoxifen and postmenopausal node-negative, estrogen-positive ones who did not receive any treatment. RESULTS: Quadrantectomy was carried out in 71 patients. At the median follow-up time of 69 months, the relapse rate was 29.6% among patients who underwent quadrantectomy (21 out of 71) and 58.6% among patients who underwent modified radical mastectomy (17 out of 29). CONCLUSIONS: Single-agent chemotherapy with anthracyclines could appear to be an effective treatment in inducing a tumor downstaging in patients with early breast cancer >3 cm. This treatment can be administered outside clinical trials in patients who desire to preserve their body integrity. Further prospective, randomized trials are needed in order to validate and better define the role of epirubicin in the neoadjuvant strategy of breast cancer patients.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Pharmacokinetics and distribution of sodium 3,4-diaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate, a Congo Red derivative active in inhibiting PrP(res) replication.

Sodium 3,4-diaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (CRA) is a compound, synthesised by our group from Congo Red (CR), that is active in preventing the pathological conversion of normal prion protein (PrP). As the precise mechanisms controlling the ways in which prions are distributed and infect the brain and other organs are not fully understood, studying the pharmacokinetics of drugs that are active against prions may clarify their targets and their means of inhibiting prion infection. This paper describes the pharmacokinetics of CRA in plasma, spleen and brain after single or repeated intraperitoneal or subcutaneous administration, as determined by means of specific and sensitive fluorimetric HPLC. A single intraperitoneal administration led to peak plasma CRA concentrations after 15 min, followed by biphasic decay with an apparent half-life of 4.3 h. After subcutaneous administration, T(max) was reached after 30 min, and was followed by a similar process of decay: Cmax and the AUC0-last were 25% those recorded after intraperitoneal administration. The mean peak concentrations and AUCs of CRA after a single intraperitoneal or subcutaneous administration in peripheral tissue (spleen) were similar to those observed in blood, whereas brain concentrations were about 2% those in plasma. After repeated intraperitoneal or subcutaneous doses, the Cmax values in plasma, brain and spleen were similar to those observed at the same times after a single dose. After repeated intraperitoneal doses, CRA was also found in the ventricular cerebrospinal fluid at concentrations of 1.8 +/- 0.2 microg(-1) mL, which is similar to, or slightly higher than, those found in brain. Brain concentrations may be sufficient to explain the activity of CRA on PrP reproduction in the CNS. However, peripheral involvement cannot be excluded because the effects of CRA are more pronounced after intraperitoneal than after intracerebral infection.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Development of a meningioma in a patient with acromegaly during octreotide treatment: are there any causal relationships?

Somatostatin receptors are highly expressed in almost all meningiomas but in this setting their functional role is not clear. A 59-yr-old woman had been treated with octreotide after an unsuccessful operation for a GH-secreting pituitary adenoma. After 8 yr of treatment, a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) scan disclosed a 3 cm meningioma of the tentorium. Mean GH was 2.2 ng/ml and IGF-I 325 ng/ml. Meningioma was resected and tissue was digested to obtain tumor cell suspension. Aim of the study was to measure epidermal growth factor (EGF)-induced proliferation of cultured meningioma cells in the presence of either somatostatin or octreotide. Cells were grown to semiconfluency in Dolbecco's modified eagle medium (D-MEM) supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum (FCS). After 48 h in D-MEM without serum, the medium was replaced by fresh medium plus recombinant EGF (10 ng/ml) and somatostatin or octreotide were added in the final concentrations of 1, 10 and 100 nM. 20 h later 1 microcgCi of 3H-thymidine was added to each well. After 4 h, incorporated radioactivity was measured. While octreotide did not influence significantly cell growth at the three dose tested, somatostatin increased thymidine incorporation dose-dependently (peak 100 nM: 150% +/- 27% vs medium plus EGF, p<0.05). Octreotide effectively suppressed GH secretion in our acromegalic patient but is unlikely that its long-term use could have stimulated the growth of meningioma since it did not significantly influence the in vitro proliferation of the meningioma cells. These results suggest that somatostatin-mediated proliferative effect on meningioma cells is not mediated by the subtype 2 of the somatostatin receptor.

Acromegaly↗

PubMed2003

Five years survival in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients treated with chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy and melatonin: a randomized trial.

Numerous experimental data have documented the oncostatic properties of melatonin. In addition to its potential direct antitumor activity, melatonin has proved to modulate the effects of cancer chemotherapy, by enhancing its therapeutic efficacy and reducing its toxicity. The increase in chemotherapeutic efficacy by melatonin may depend on two main mechanisms, namely prevention of chemotherapy-induced lymphocyte damage and its antioxidant effect, which has been proved to amplify cytotoxic actions of the chemotherapeutic agents against cancer cells. However, the clinical results available at present with melatonin and chemotherapy in the treatment of human neoplasms are generally limited to the evaluation of 1-year survival in patients with very advanced disease. Thus, the present study was performed to assess the 5-year survival results in metastatic non-small cell lung cancer patients obtained with a chemotherapeutic regimen consisting of cisplatin and etoposide, with or without the concomitant administration of melatonin (20 mg/day orally in the evening). The study included 100 consecutive patients who were randomized to receive chemotherapy alone or chemotherapy and melatonin. Both the overall tumor regression rate and the 5-year survival results were significantly higher in patients concomitantly treated with melatonin. In particular, no patient treated with chemotherapy alone was alive after 2 years, whereas a 5-year survival was achieved in three of 49 (6%) patients treated with chemotherapy and melatonin. Moreover, chemotherapy was better tolerated in patients treated with melatonin. This study confirms, in a considerable number of patients and for a long follow-up period, the possibility to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy in terms of both survival and quality of life by a concomitant administration of melatonin. This suggests a new biochemotherapeutic strategy in the treatment of human neoplasms.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

[Growth hormone secretion in heart failure].

Growth hormone is a pituitary polypeptide hormone regulating growth in paediatric age as well as inducing anabolic actions directly or IGF-I mediated in adult age. Particularly, in many animals GH and IGF-I receptors were observed in cardiac myocyte membrane. GH modifies left ventricle structure and function. As concerns spontaneous GH secretion, some data suggest that pituitary gland can have a compensatory role on endocrine response to heart failure. Heart failure stage was directly correlated to nocturnal GH levels. All GH spontaneous night secretion parameters as well as IGF-I levels showed a range between normal people and very high spontaneous secretion. Therefore in these patients there are either a GH peripheric resistance or a reduction of the activity of GH/IGF-I axis. Anyhow in our patients, GH 24 hour infusion was inducing a 5 fold increase in GH concentration and a 50% increase in basal IGF-I levels. Anker et al. suggested to evaluate nutritional state in heart failure patients, observing no differences in non-cachectic patients vs controls, while cachectic patients presented a typical GH resistance syndrome. Interestingly, cardiovascular effects of GH administration seem to be only marginally correlated to hemodynamic basal state. On the other hand basal hormonal setting of the patient seems to correlate to the GH-induced cardiovascular response. In fact, low basal IGF-I but high basal GH patients presented the worst endocrine and cardiovascular response to GH infusion. In literature there are controversial data about GH treatment in patients with chronic heart failure. The heterogeneity of the population could be the reason for this discrepancy. Besides very different IGF-I responses to GH have been reported. Therefore, as there is good clinical evidence that GH acute infusion can improve heart failure, it seems to be necessary firstly to evaluate the basal endocrine status of the patients. Particularly attention should be given to those patients that present a peripheric GH resistance. On the other hand, those patients with a reduced pituitary GH reserve are supposed to have very beneficial effects from GH treatment.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Determination of sodium 3,4-diaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate, a Congo Red derivative, in plasma and brain of hamsters by high-performance liquid chromatography after solid-phase extraction and ultraviolet absorbance.

In the search for compounds with similar or greater activity than Congo Red (CR) in protecting normal prion protein from being converted into the pathological form, we have synthesized various compounds which derive from CR. One of these is the sodium 3,4-diaminonaphthalene-1-sulfonate (RCA) which has an activity similar to CR in preliminary experiments. This study describes a method to determine RCA in plasma and in brain tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), using a solid-phase extraction and UV detection. RCA is an amphoteric molecule difficult to separate from biological matrices. Extraction was achieved by solid-phase extraction (ENV+ columns) together with the use of a counter ion. The resulting solid-phase extraction is efficient and rapid. RCA was separated on a Symmetry C18 250 x 4.6 mm I.D. 5 lm column at 1 ml/min using a 50 mM NaSO4 in 5 mM tetra-n-butylammoniumiodide (TEBA) in water-methanol (82:18, v/v) mobile phase. Retention times of RCA and I.S. were 21 and 24 min. The UV detector was set at 210 nm. The limit of quantitation was 0.5 microg/ml. The method has intra-assay and inter-assay accuracies higher than 95%, coefficients of variation ranging between 2.8 and 8.6%, and recovery rates between 74.3 and 80.1% in plasma and in brain tissue. A linear response to quantities of RCA from 0.5 to 100 microg/ml or 10 microg/g in plasma or brain was obtained. The present method allows the study of the pharmacokinetics of RCA in plasma after i.p. administration, and the distribution of the compound into the brain at the peak time.

Animals↗

PubMed2001

3,8-diazabicyclo--[3.2.1]-octane derivatives as analogues of ambasilide, a Class III antiarrhythmic agent.

Ambasilide, a representative of Class III antiarrhythmics, was reported to prolong the cardiac action potential duration in the dog, with little or no effect on Ca and Na currents. We synthesised a series of ambasilide analogues, having the 3,8-diazabicyclo-[3.2.1]-octane moiety instead of the 3,7-diazabicyclo-[3.3.1]-nonane present in ambasilide. The compounds were tested both in vitro extracellular electrophysiological assays and by the conventional microelectrode technique. Most of them lengthened the effective refractory period (ERP) with no change or slight increase on the impulse conduction time (ICT). Similarly some of the tested compounds lengthened the action potential duration (APD), a typical Class III feature, without exerting any significant effect on the maximal rate of depolarization, therefore apparently lacking Class I antiarrhythmic activity.

Aminobenzoates↗

PubMed2001

Discriminant validity of the Vineland Scales: score profiles of individuals with mental retardation and a specific disorder.

Utility of the Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales-Expanded Form to discriminate among areas of adaptive behavior was substantiated by comparing profiles of scores obtained by three groups of individuals with mental retardation and either a communication, social behavior, or motor abilities disorder with those of matched individuals with mental retardation but no other disorder. Individuals with social behavior disorders obtained lower scores only in the Socialization domain; those with motor disorders, in the Motor domain and in the Personal and Domestic subscales that require motor competencies; and those with communication disorders, lower scores in the Communication domain and in the Community and Interpersonal Relationships subscales requiring expressive competencies. The utility of the Vineland Scales in obtaining an ecological evaluation of individuals with mental retardation is discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

The impact of a clinical training unit on integrated child health care in Mexico.

This study had two aims: to describe the activities of a clinical training unit set up for the integrated management of sick children, and to evaluate the impact of the unit after its first four years of operation. The training unit was set up in the outpatient ward of a government hospital and was staffed by a paediatrician, a family medicine physician, two nurses and a nutritionist. The staff kept a computerized database for all patients seen and they were supervised once a month. During the first three years, the demand for first-time medical consultation increased by 477% for acute respiratory infections (ARI) and 134% for acute diarrhoea (AD), with an average annual increase of demand for medical care of 125%. Eighty-nine per cent of mothers who took their child for consultation and 85% of mothers who lived in the catchment area and had a deceased child received training on how to recognize alarming signs in a sick child. Fifty-eight per cent of these mothers were evaluated as being properly trained. Eighty-five per cent of primary care physicians who worked for government institutions (n = 350) and 45% of private physicians (n = 90) were also trained in the recognition and proper management of AD and ARI. ARI mortality in children under 1 year of age in the catchment area (which included about 25,000 children under 5 years of age) decreased by 43.2% in three years, while mortality in children under 5 years of age decreased by 38.8%. The corresponding figures for AD mortality reduction were 36.3% and 33.6%. In this same period, 11 clinical research protocols were written. In summary, we learned that a clinical training unit for integrated child care management was an excellent way to offer in-service training for primary health care physicians.

Child↗

PubMed2000

Synthesis, modelling, and mu-opioid receptor affinity of N-3(9)-arylpropenyl-N-9(3)-propionyl-3,9-diazabicycl.

A series of N-3-arylpropenyl-N-9-propionyl-3,9-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonanes (1a-g) and of reverted N-3-propionyl-N-9-arylpropenyl isomers (2a-g), as homologues of the previously reported analgesic 3,8-diazabicyclo[3.2.1]octanes (I-II), were synthesized and evaluated for the binding affinity towards opioid receptor subtypes mu, delta and kappa. Compounds 1a-g and 2a-g exhibited a strong selective mu-affinity with Ki values in the nanomolar range, which favourably compared with those of I and II. In addition, contrary to the trend observed for DBO-I, II, the mu-affinity of series 2 is markedly higher than that of the isomeric series 1. This aspect was discussed on the basis of the conformational studies performed on DBN which allowed hypotheses on the mode of interaction of these compounds with the mu receptor.

Analgesics↗

PubMed1999

Radiotherapy and concurrent continuous infusion of cisplatin with adjuvant surgery in nonresectable Stage III lung carcinoma: short- and long-term results of a Phase II study.

PURPOSE: Cisplatin-enhanced radiotherapy plus adjuvant surgery was evaluated in nonresectable non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC). METHODS AND MATERIALS: Doses of 50 Gy (administered in standard fractionation in 5 weeks) were delivered with concurrent cisplatin in continuous infusion (daily dose: 4 mg/m2), to 32 Stage IIIa and 45 Stage IIIb patients enrolled in a Phase II study. Patients without progression underwent surgery. RESULTS: Esophagitis (64%), nausea/vomiting (34%), and pulmonary toxicity (14%) were the main side effects. Grade 3 toxicity occurred in 4 instances. A clinical locoregional major response was achieved by 55 patients (there were 10 complete responses). Forty patients underwent surgery, 7 with a nonradical procedure. Seven patients died due to surgery-related complications, which were significantly impacted by right pneumonectomy (71% vs. 6% of the other procedures, p < 0.0001). Eighteen of the 40 surgical patients were assessed to be without viable tumor and 11 with microresidual carcinoma. There were 13 disease-free, 5-year survivors. CONCLUSIONS: Toxicity was low but activity high with the chemoradiotherapy. Adjuvant surgery increased the rate of complete responses, but right pneumonectomy had an unacceptable mortality. The role of surgery needs further refinement. Integration of the chemoradiotherapy schedule with cisplatin-based induction chemotherapy is advisable.

Adult↗

PubMed1999

Seasonal diarrhoeal mortality among Mexican children.

The study investigated the effects on diarrhoeal deaths among under-5-year-old Mexican children of the following variables: season (summer or winter), region (north versus south), age group, and place of death. Examination of death certificates indicated that the distribution of deaths in 1989-90 was bimodal, with one peak during the winter and a more pronounced one during the summer. In 1993-94, however, the winter peak was higher than that in the summer (odds ratio (OR) = 2.04). These findings were due mostly to deaths among children aged 1-23 months (OR = 1.86). Diarrhoeal mortality was highest among children aged 6-11 months (OR = 2.23). During the winter, there was a significant increase in the number of deaths that occurred in medical care units and among children who had been seen by a physician before they died, but deaths occurring at home showed no seasonal variation. In the northern states, the reduction in diarrhoeal mortality was less in winter than in summer (OR = 2.62). In the southern states, the proportional reduction during the winter was similar to that in the summer.

Child, Preschool↗

PubMed1998

A randomized, controlled clinical trial to evaluate the effects of zinc sulfate on cancer patients with taste alterations caused by head and neck irradiation.

BACKGROUND: In uncontrolled clinical trials, the administration of oral zinc sulfate has been reported both to prevent and correct taste abnormalities in cancer patients receiving external radiotherapy (ERT) to the head and neck region. METHODS: Eighteen patients were randomized to receive either zinc sulfate tablets (a dose of 45 mg) or placebo tablets three times a day at the onset of subjective perception of taste alterations during the course of ERT and up to 1 month after ERT termination. Taste acuity was determined by measuring detection and recognition thresholds for four taste qualities. Intolerance of zinc sulfate or placebo administration was investigated, and the oral cavity was examined. All the evaluations were studied prior to, at weekly intervals during, and 1 month after ERT administration. RESULTS: Taste acuity for one or more taste qualities was already impaired before ERT. During ERT treatment, taste alterations were experienced at least once for a minimum of 3 of the 8 measured thresholds by 100% of the patients, and 33.3% of the patients became aware of some alteration within the first week of treatment. The patients treated with placebo experienced a greater worsening of taste acuity during ERT treatment compared with those treated with zinc sulfate. One month after ERT was terminated, the patients receiving zinc sulfate had a quicker recovery of taste acuity than those receiving placebo. Statistically significant differences between the two groups emerged for urea detection and sodium chloride recognition thresholds during ERT treatment and for sodium chloride, saccharose, and hydrogen chloride recognition thresholds after the termination of ERT treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This pharmacologic therapy is effective and well tolerated; it could become a routine in clinical practice to improve the supportive care of patients with taste alterations resulting from head and neck cancer.

Administration, Oral↗