Dry mouth (xerostomia) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Chinese medicine led to lower xerostomia (dichotomous, Shenqi Fanghou recipe) compared with no treatment/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 may leads to higher vomiting (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Asthenia · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Amifostine showed no clear difference in asthenia (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Xerostomia (other Chinese medicines) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Overall survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
It is very uncertain whether pilocarpine changes overall survival compared with no treatment/placebo (very 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
Overall survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Other oral related symptoms (oral discomfort, eating difficulty, mucosal pain, oral complications) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
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
Overall survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes overall survival compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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