Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

31 questions · 33 findings · 3 reviews · Oral medicine and oral cancer

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No studies found 1 · 3%GRADE not reported 17 · 51.5%Very low 6 · 18.2%Low 5 · 15.2%Moderate 4 · 12.1%High 0 · 0%

Visual screening (oral visual inspection) by trained health workers vs No screening

Oral cancer mortality (disease-specific) · Apparently healthy adults aged 35 years or older (general population), living in 13 clusters in rural areas of Trivandrum city, Kerala,…

Visual screening (oral visual inspection) by trained health workers showed no clear difference in oral cancer mortality (disease-specific) compared with no screening (low certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Screening programmes for the early detection and prevention of oral cancer 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes
15-year follow-up
RR 0.88 [0.69, 1.12]
1 study · 191873 participants
Low
Screening programmes for the early detection and prevention of oral cancer 2013 · Cochrane All outcomes
15-year follow-up · High-risk individuals (tobacco and/or alcohol users)
RR 0.76 [0.60, 0.97]
1 study
GRADE not reported

Altered fractionation radiotherapy (hyperfractionated and/or accelerated) vs Conventional (standard) fractionation radiotherapy

All‐cause mortality · People with primary squamous cell carcinoma of the oral cavity (ICD-O C01-C06) or oropharynx (ICD-O C09-C10); head and neck cancer trials…

It is very uncertain whether altered fractionation radiotherapy (hyperfractionated and/or… changes mortality compared with conventional (standard) fractionation radiotherapy (very low certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: radiotherapy 2010 · Cochrane All outcomes
5 years · All included studies
HR 0.86 [0.76, 0.98]
13 studies · 3751 participants
Very low
Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: radiotherapy 2010 · Cochrane All outcomes
5 years · Studies at low risk of bias (sensitivity analysis)
HR 0.93 [0.80, 1.07]
5 studies · 1511 participants
Moderate

Surgery plus radiotherapy vs Radiotherapy alone

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer

It is very uncertain whether surgery plus radiotherapy changes total mortality compared with radiotherapy alone (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
3 years
HR 0.24 [0.10, 0.59]
1 study · 35 participants
Very low

Elective radical (comprehensive) neck dissection vs Elective selective neck dissection

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity cancer

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
Total mortality: 2 trials reported HR but could not be pooled (different surgical procedures); neither indicated a difference (BHNCSG 1998 HR 1.14, 0.70 to 1.86; Bier 1994 HR 0.87, 0.41 to 1.83); 252 participants (2…
2 studies · 252 participants
Very low

Surgery plus radiotherapy vs Chemotherapy (chemoradiotherapy)

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
oral cavity
Total mortality: study reported survival significantly better with surgery and RT vs chemoradiotherapy, but no useable data; 32 participants (1 RCT, Iyer 2015 oral cavity subgroup).
1 study · 32 participants
Very low

PET-CT following chemoradiotherapy (neck dissection only if no/incomplete response) vs Planned neck dissection before or after chemoradiotherapy

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer with nodal disease (stage N2 or N3)

PET-CT following chemoradiotherapy (neck dissection only if… showed no clear difference in total mortality compared with planned neck dissection before or after chemoradiotherapy (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
3 years
HR 0.92 [0.65, 1.31]
1 study · 564 participants
Moderate

Superselective neck dissection vs Elective selective neck dissection

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity cancer (tongue or floor of mouth) and clinically negative neck nodes

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
Total mortality: not reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Sentinel node biopsy (neck dissection only if biopsy positive) vs Elective neck dissection

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer

Sentinel node biopsy (neck dissection only if biopsy positive) showed no clear difference in total mortality compared with elective neck dissection (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
3 years
HR 1.00 [0.90, 1.11]
1 study · 279 participants
Low

Supraomohyoid neck dissection vs Modified radical neck dissection

Total mortality · Adults with oral cavity or oropharyngeal cancer

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancers: surgical treatment 2023 · Cochrane All outcomes
Total mortality: reported but not usable (Guo 2014: during follow-up 113/322 (35.1%) died; SOND 53, MRND 60). No GRADE rating.
1 study
GRADE not reported