What do systematic reviews say?

Low‐level laser therapy vs Placebo or no active treatment

Laser (low level) showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with placebo/sham/no treatment; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.64 [0.38, 1.08]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Oxygenated glycerol triester (OGT) spray vs Saliveeze (aqueous electrolyte) spray

Oxygenated glycerol triester (OGT) spray led to higher xerostomia (mouth dryness scale) compared with saliveeze (aqueous electrolyte) spray; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SMD 0.77 [0.38, 1.15]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Traumeel vs placebo

Traumeel showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) 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 0.71 [0.49, 1.05]
  1 study · 30 participants
  GRADE not reported

Prednisone vs placebo

Prednisone showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) 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 1.03 [0.85, 1.24]
  1 study · 66 participants
  GRADE not reported

Mucin spray (Saliva Orthana) vs Placebo spray (base without mucin)

Mucin spray (Saliva Orthana) led to lower patient satisfaction / desire to continue treatment compared with placebo spray (base without mucin); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Sweeney 1997: majority in both groups wished to continue the allocated spray, no significant difference (Analysis 1.3). Duxbury 1989: 14/30 (46.6%) and 15/30 (50%) wished to continue Saliva Orthana and the spray base…
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

CMC spray / HCC spray / HCC gel vs Liquid margarine (and between each other)

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Furumoto 1998 (crossover, n=28, medians/IQR): median day-10 oral dryness (lower = less dry): CMC spray 28.00 (3.06), HCC spray 28.75 (2.23), HCC gel 27.75 (3.62), margarine 29.25 (5.06). Only HCC gel showed a…
  1 study · 28 participants
  GRADE not reported

Intestinal trefoil factor vs placebo

Intestinal trefoil factor led to lower oral mucositis (moderate to 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 0.22 [0.1, 0.48]
  1 study · 99 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

Yangyin-humo decoction vs Traditional Western medicine

Yangyin-humo decoction showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to 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 0.65 [0.41, 1.02]
  1 study · 42 participants
  GRADE not reported

Clarithromycin vs no treatment

Systemic antibiotic (clarithromycin) showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to 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 0.69 [0.48, 1.01]
  1 study · 70 participants
  GRADE not reported

Oral care protocol vs usual care or no treatment

Oral care protocol showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with no treatment/usual care; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.91 [0.82, 1.02]
  1 study · 150 participants
  GRADE not reported

Intraoral device releasing Biotene Oral Balance gel vs Manually administered bolus of the same gel

Intraoral device releasing Biotene Oral Balance gel led to lower xerostomia (Xerostomia Inventory) compared with manually administered bolus of the same gel; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  SMD -1.01 [-1.44, -0.58]
  1 study · 22 participants
  GRADE not reported

Hydrolytic enzymes vs no treatment

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

  Median 28 days
  no estimate extracted
  3 studies
  GRADE not reported

Shenqi-fanghou vs no treatment

Shenqi-fanghou showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) 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 0.9 [0.8, 1]
  1 study · 140 participants
  GRADE not reported

Propantheline vs placebo

Propantheline showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) 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 0.4 [0.12, 1.31]
  1 study · 12 participants
  GRADE not reported

Commercial mouthcare system (Biotene Oral Balance / Xerostom) vs Usual care or CMC-based control

Commercial mouthcare system (Biotene Oral Balance / Xerostom) showed no clear difference in salivary flow (unstimulated whole saliva) compared with usual care or CMC-based control; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  MD 0.02 [-0.02, 0.06]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Sucralfate vs placebo or usual care

Sucralfate showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with placebo/usual care; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.75 [0.54, 1.04]
  4 studies
  GRADE not reported

V6 chewing gum / mucin chewing gum vs PTC chewing gum (xylitol/sorbitol/mannitol)

• Interventions for the management of dry mouth: topical therapies 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Olsson 1991 (crossover, high risk of bias, n=14): both gums increased saliva secretion, peaking 17.5 minutes after chewing started; significant treatment-by-period interaction; no per-group data presented.
  1 study · 14 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