Adjunct therapy

What is adjunct therapy?

Adjunct therapy is therapy prescribed in addition to the primary treatment with the aim of achieving maximum effectiveness. The goal of adjunct therapy is to support and enhance the effects of the main treatment methods by preventing or alleviating their side effects (such as burns from radiotherapy, xerostomia, weight loss during chemotherapy, etc.).

What are examples of adjunct therapy?

Adjunct therapy is an essential element of comprehensive treatment. A notable example of adjunct therapy is nutritional support for patients with insufficient nutrition levels, who cannot eat adequately due to illness or chemotherapy side effects. Nutritional support helps provide the patient with the necessary energy levels and essential nutritional components, including amino acids, vitamins, etc. Specialized clinical nutrition products like FontActiv from Grand Fonteyn, Spain, developed based on milk proteins, can be used as a supplement to regular meals or as the main dish.

Adjunct therapy prevents extremely unpleasant side effects that cause suffering to patients (such as burns during radiotherapy or palmar-plantar syndrome during chemotherapy). The use of ChemoDry V6 has shown a significant reduction in symptoms like dryness, itching, and burning of the skin in patients. ChemoDry V6 can be applied before the start of chemotherapy, during (before the onset of symptoms), and after the occurrence of skin dryness, providing complete protection and improving the quality of life for patients.

In cases of salivary gland damage during radiation therapy, which is accompanied by a lack of saliva production, adjunct therapy offers products that moisturize and protect the mucous membranes of the oral cavity and/or stimulate saliva production. This helps reduce dryness in the mouth and prevents the development of various dental problems in patients with xerostomia. One effective product for this purpose is MucoDry H, specially designed for moisturizing the oral cavity and restoring natural saliva secretion. Its actions include moisturizing the oral cavity, restoring natural saliva secretion, relieving irritation of the oral mucosa, and reducing unpleasant taste and odor from the oral cavity.

Adjunct therapy also helps with diarrhea, which is common in cancer patients and may lead to the discontinuation of specific treatments. Diorce is an effective drug for the treatment and prevention of diarrhea caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Diorce is formulated with a balanced composition of electrolytes in accordance with ESPGHAN recommendations*. In combination with diosmectite, Diorce contributes to restoring the water-electrolyte balance, effectively eliminating the causes of the disease, reducing the volume of bowel movements, and shortening the duration of diarrhea.

In conclusion, adjunct therapy is an equal “”player”” in the team of comprehensive treatment, supporting the effectiveness of other treatment methods. Adjunct therapy’s mission is to help the patient adjust both physically and emotionally on the path to recovery. With the goal of improving the patient’s quality of life, Aikor presents a range of adjunct therapy products.

*ESPGHAN – European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition.
References:
NHS Data Model and Dictionary: https://www.datadictionary.nhs.uk/nhs_business_definitions/adjunctive_therapy.html
Benson AB III, Ajani JA, Catalano RB, et al: Recommended guidelines for the treatment of cancer treatment-induced diarrhea. J Clin Oncol 22:2918-2926, 2004.
PC Okhuysen, LS Schwartzberg, E Roeland, R Anupindi, M Hull et all The impact of cancer-related diarrhea on changes in cancer therapy patterns / Journal of Clinical Oncology 2021 39:15 suppl., p.12111.