Interruptions to cancer treatment (radiotherapy breaks longer than two days) · Adults with cancer receiving treatment
Epidermal growth factor (EGF), oral spray showed no clear difference in interruptions to cancer treatment (radiotherapy breaks longer than… compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Salivary flow rate (stimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Dentine caries in permanent molars (24 months) · Children and adolescents (general population, aged under 20 years)
1 finding from 1 review
Inconsistent effect (differences in products, comparisons, outcomes, outcome reporting times, background fluoride and age groups); 21 trials (3883 participants randomised); very low quality
21 studies · 3883 participants
Very low
Side effects (other: dryness in mouth, diarrhoea, constipation) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Dry mouth (xerostomia) · 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
Speech difficulties (VAS 0-100 mm) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Pilocarpine led to higher speech difficulties (VAS 0-100 mm) compared with no treatment/placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Normalcy of diet (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) · Adults with cancer receiving treatment
Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) showed no clear difference in normalcy of diet (percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
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
Normalcy of diet (total parenteral nutrition) · Adults with cancer receiving treatment
Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF; palifermin or repifermin),… showed no clear difference in normalcy of diet (total parenteral nutrition) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Vomiting · 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 vomiting (adverse effect) compared with amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects ‐ Sweating · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Pilocarpine may leads to higher sweating (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
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
Normalcy of diet (tube feeding) · Adults with cancer receiving treatment
Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) showed no clear difference in normalcy of diet (tube feeding) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Number of days in hospital · Adults receiving bone marrow/stem cell transplantation after conditioning therapy for haematological cancers
Erythropoietin mouthwash showed no clear difference in number of days in hospital compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Number of days of treatment with opioid analgesics · Adults with cancer receiving treatment
Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF; palifermin or repifermin),… showed no clear difference in number of days of treatment with opioid analgesics compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Salivary flow rate · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse events: hypotension · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Amifostine may leads to higher hypotension (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Dysphagia (WHO grade 3+) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Biperiden plus pilocarpine showed no clear difference in dysphagia (WHO grade 3+) compared with no treatment; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
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
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
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