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
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
Taste acuity improvement - objective outcome (continuous data) · Patients with taste disturbances (dysgeusia/hypogeusia; idiopathic, zinc-deficient, or secondary to chronic renal failure)
It is very uncertain whether zinc supplements (zinc sulphate, zinc gluconate, zinc picolinate,… changes taste acuity improvement - objective outcome (continuous data) compared with placebo (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral mucositis (moderate to severe) · Adults with cancer receiving treatment
It is very uncertain whether granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) changes oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with placebo or no treatment (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Oral mucositis (any severity) · Adults receiving bone marrow/stem cell transplantation after conditioning therapy for haematological cancers
Erythropoietin mouthwash led to lower oral mucositis (any severity) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
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
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
Health‐related quality of life · Patients with idiopathic dysgeusia and hypogeusia
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
Adverse events · Patients with taste disturbances (dysgeusia/hypogeusia; idiopathic, zinc-deficient, or secondary to chronic renal failure)
It is very uncertain whether zinc supplements (zinc sulphate, zinc gluconate, zinc picolinate,… changes adverse events compared with placebo (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review