Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

16 questions · 16 findings · 5 reviews · All outcomes

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No studies found 8 · 50%GRADE not reported 6 · 37.5%Very low 2 · 12.5%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%

Chemotherapy (any regimen; added to, or compared with, locoregional treatment) vs Locoregional treatment and/or an alternative chemotherapy regimen

Quality of life · People receiving curative-intent treatment for oral cavity and oropharyngeal (squamous cell) cancer

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for the treatment of oral cavity and oropharyngeal cancer: chemotherapy 2021 · Cochrane All outcomes
Quality of life was a planned (protocol) outcome but no included trial provided usable quality-of-life data; the protocol was modified to report only survival/response outcomes.
0 studies
No studies found

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine showed no clear difference in quality of life compared with no treatment/placebo; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT; up to 3 months postRT
MD 0.52 [-0.02, 1.06]
1 study · 233 participants
GRADE not reported

Antiseptic mouthrinse vs placebo

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
No quality of life data were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Bethanechol vs placebo

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
No data on either quality of life or other oral related symptoms were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of intervention to 3 months postRT
Insufficient evidence to determine any effect on quality of life (Lin 2014; Analysis 6.5)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Amifostine (intravenous) vs Amifostine (subcutaneous)

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
No data on either quality of life or other oral related symptoms were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
No data on either quality of life or other oral related symptoms were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly vs Amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT and 6, 12, 18, 24 months postRT
No significant differences between the three treatment arms (Jellema 2006)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
No data on either quality of life or other oral related symptoms were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Phenytoin mouthrinse vs placebo

Quality of life · People with cancer receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy (or both) who have oral mucositis

Phenytoin mouthrinse led to lower quality of life compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for treating oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2010 · Cochrane All outcomes
7 days
MD -15.10 [-26.04, -4.16]
1 study · 12 participants
GRADE not reported

Any antifungal intervention for the treatment of oral candidiasis vs Placebo, no treatment, or another active antifungal intervention

Patient quality of life · Patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy with overt oral candidiasis

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for treating oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2010 · Cochrane All outcomes
None of the studies reported: relief of pain, relief of dysphagia, incidence of systemic infection, amount of analgesia, days stay in hospital, cost of oral care, patient quality of life.
0 studies
No studies found

Antifungal drugs absorbed from GI tract (fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole) vs placebo or no treatment

Patient quality of life · Patients with cancer receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
No trial reported this planned secondary outcome for any comparison in this review
Studies not reported
No studies found

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

Quality of life (McMaster HNRQ, 1-7 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

It is very uncertain whether pilocarpine changes quality of life (McMaster HNRQ, 1-7 scale) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Up to and including 6 months postRT
MD 0.20 [-0.19, 0.59]
1 study · 90 participants
Very low

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

Quality of life and other oral related symptoms · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Over 6 months
Insufficient evidence of a difference for global quality of life, mouth pain RR 0.94 (95% CI 0.66 to 1.33), sore/burning mouth RR 0.95 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.35), throat pain RR 0.79 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.12) (Duncan 2005)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Quality of life (Patient Benefit Questionnaire, 10-point scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes quality of life (Patient Benefit Questionnaire, 10-point scale) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
12 months postRT
MD 0.70 [0.20, 1.20]
1 study · 180 participants
Very low

Selenium vs no intervention

Quality of life and other oral related symptoms (loss of taste, dysphagia) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
6 weeks after end of RT
Insufficient evidence of differences for loss of taste or dysphagia; data largely unusable (no standard deviations). Ageusia milder in selenium group (not significant); dysphagia significant only at week 7 (P = 0.05)…
1 study
GRADE not reported