Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

6 questions · 8 findings · 1 reviews · Oral medicine and oral cancer

No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 6 · 75%Very low 2 · 25%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes salivary flow rate (mg/5 min, unstimulated) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

It is very uncertain whether pilocarpine changes salivary flow rate (unstimulated) 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 3 months postRT
MD -0.06 [-0.23, 0.11]
1 study · 24 participants
Very low

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · 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
Insufficient evidence, from a single trial of 60 participants, to determine the effect on unstimulated salivary flow rate at the end of RT (Rode 1999; Analysis 2.1)
1 study · 60 participants
GRADE not reported

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol led to higher salivary flow rate (unstimulated, ml/min) compared with artificial saliva; GRADE not reported.

2 findings from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
MD 0.12 [0.01, 0.23]
1 study · 36 participants
GRADE not reported
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
8 to 40 weeks postRT
MD 0.07 [-0.02, 0.16]
1 study · 33 participants
GRADE not reported

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol led to higher salivary flow rate (unstimulated, ml/min) compared with 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
2 months postRT
MD 0.19 [0.06, 0.32]
1 study · 97 participants
GRADE not reported

Salivary flow rate · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine led to higher salivary flow rate (incidence of > 0.1 g saliva/5 min, unstimulated) 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
12 months postRT
RR 1.45 [1.13, 1.86]
1 study · 175 participants
GRADE not reported