Cytotoxic chemotherapy and radiation therapy damage normal body tissues, resulting in stomatitis, conjunctivitis, esophagitis, proctitis, and dermatitis. Pursuant to this, the North Central Cancer Treatment Group has developed a series of clinical trials designed to study antidotes for these pathologic processes. These trials have demonstrated clinically helpful therapies (eg, oral cryotherapy for decreasing mucositis induced by 5-fluorouracil) and also have demonstrated lack of benefit for other proposed treatments. Results from several ongoing clinical trials should become available in the near future.