What do systematic reviews say?

Radiotherapy (morning) vs Radiotherapy (afternoon/evening)

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  no estimate extracted
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Radiotherapy (morning) vs Radiotherapy (afternoon/evening)

Radiotherapy (morning) showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with radiotherapy (afternoon/evening); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.7 [0.48, 1.01]
  1 study · 177 participants
  GRADE not reported

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), mouthwash vs Sucralfate mouthwash

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), mouthwash showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with sucralfate mouthwash; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  RT to head and neck
  RR 0.54 [0.24, 1.21]
  1 study · 40 participants
  GRADE not reported

Intestinal trefoil factor vs placebo

Intestinal trefoil factor showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 1.52 [0.06, 36.39]
  1 study · 99 participants
  GRADE not reported

Zinc sulphate vs placebo

Zinc sulphate led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.05 [0, 0.75]
  1 study · 27 participants
  GRADE not reported

Sucralfate vs placebo or usual care

Sucralfate probably leads to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo/usual care (moderate certainty).

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.67 [0.48, 0.92]
  7 studies · 428 participants
  Moderate

Shenqi-fanghou vs no treatment

Shenqi-fanghou led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.2 [0.11, 0.36]
  1 study · 140 participants
  GRADE not reported

Yangyin-humo decoction vs Traditional Western medicine

Yangyin-humo decoction showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with traditional Western medicine; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.57 [0.2, 1.66]
  1 study · 42 participants
  GRADE not reported

Benzydamine vs placebo

Benzydamine led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.55 [0.38, 0.82]
  1 study · 81 participants
  GRADE not reported

Keratinocyte GF vs placebo

Keratinocyte GF may leads to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo (low certainty).

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.72 [0.58, 0.9]
  6 studies · 559 participants
  Low

Chewing gum vs No chewing gum

Chewing gum showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with no chewing gum; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 1.16 [0.82, 1.64]
  1 study · 140 participants
  GRADE not reported

Dental stent vs no treatment

Dental stent showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.7 [0.28, 1.75]
  1 study · 43 participants
  GRADE not reported

Aloe vera vs placebo

Aloe vera led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.13 [0.02, 0.97]
  1 study · 61 participants
  GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine vs placebo

Pilocarpine showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.89 [0.58, 1.37]
  1 study · 34 participants
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs placebo/no treatment

It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo/no treatment (very low certainty).

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.68 [0.45, 1.03]
  9 studies · 845 participants
  Very low

Oral cryotherapy (ice chips, ice-cold water, ice cubes or crushed ice held in the mouth during cancer treatment) vs no treatment

Cryotherapy (ice chips) may leads to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with no treatment (low certainty).

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.36 [0.17, 0.77]
  5 studies · 472 participants
  Low

Indigo wood root vs saline placebo

Indigo wood root led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with saline (placebo); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.14 [0.02, 0.93]
  1 study · 20 participants
  GRADE not reported

Glutamine (intravenous) vs placebo

Glutamine (intravenous) led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.25 [0.1, 0.62]
  3 studies · 93 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine vs placebo/no treatment

Chlorhexidine showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo/no treatment (low certainty).

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.82 [0.54, 1.23]
  4 studies · 244 participants
  Low

Prednisone vs placebo

Prednisone showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.64 [0.17, 2.45]
  1 study · 66 participants
  GRADE not reported