Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

571 questions · 628 findings · 20 reviews · Oral medicine and oral cancer

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No studies found 73 · 11.6%GRADE not reported 459 · 73.1%Very low 49 · 7.8%Low 30 · 4.8%Moderate 17 · 2.7%High 0 · 0%

Bethanechol vs placebo

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

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

Survival · 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 survival data were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

Survival (locoregional control) · 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
Unable to use the data on locoregional control (Grotz 2001)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF; palifermin or repifermin), intravenous vs placebo

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

Palifermin showed no clear difference in dysphagia 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
3 months postRT
RR 1.32 [0.55, 3.13]
3 studies
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Locoregional control · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine showed no clear difference in locoregional tumour control 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 to 24 months postRT
HR 0.90 [0.74, 1.11]
2 studies · 279 participants
GRADE not reported

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

Disability of oral intake · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Polaprezinc showed no clear difference in disability of oral intake compared with azulene oral rinse; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Over RT period
RR 0.31 [0.07, 1.31]
1 study · 31 participants
GRADE not reported

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

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

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

Antimicrobial lozenge led to higher nausea (adverse effect) 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
Over 6 months
RR 1.90 [1.10, 3.28]
1 study · 131 participants
GRADE not reported

Antiseptic mouthrinse vs placebo

Survival · 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 survival data were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

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

Salivary flow rate · 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 salivary flow rate data related to the effectiveness of different doses of amifostine were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

Adverse effects (other reported events) · 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
No evidence of a difference for any other adverse event (nausea, vomiting, chilling, headache, lacrimation, dysphasia, weakness, nervousness, rhinitis, blurred vision, urinary frequency, dizziness, palpitation, skin…
Studies not reported
GRADE not reported

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

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

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly showed no clear difference in nausea (adverse effect) compared with amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RR 0.64 [0.33, 1.25]
1 study · 60 participants
GRADE not reported

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

Xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-4 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly showed no clear difference in xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-4 scale) compared with amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly; 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 0.94 [0.58, 1.53]
1 study · 49 participants
GRADE not reported

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

Side effects · 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
No adverse events could be attributed to the experimental medication (Grotz 2001)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Selenium vs no intervention

Side effects · 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
23 serious adverse events in the selenium group versus 22 in the control group (P = 0.476); no significant differences in toxicities (Buntzel 2010)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF; palifermin or repifermin), intravenous vs placebo

Mouth and throat soreness (OMWQ-HN, 0-4 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Palifermin showed no clear difference in mouth and throat soreness (OMWQ-HN, 0-4 scale) 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
3 months postRT
MD -0.12 [-0.27, 0.02]
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

Dry mouth (xerostomia) · 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
RTOG scores were a composite of radiation side effects on different sites and could not be used for assessing xerostomia (Grotz 2001)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Amifostine may leads to higher nausea (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RR 2.60 [1.81, 3.74]
4 studies · 556 participants
Low

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

Side effects · 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
Low rates of adverse effects (watering eyes, nervousness, frequent urination, sweating, warm face, cramps, diarrhoea, nausea) with insufficient evidence of any differences (Jham 2007)
1 study
GRADE not reported

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