Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

1,183 questions · 1,283 findings · 30 reviews · Oral medicine and oral cancer

Sort:Best matchNewestHighest certainty Download CSV

No studies found 164 · 12.8%GRADE not reported 802 · 62.5%Very low 209 · 16.3%Low 71 · 5.5%Moderate 36 · 2.8%High 1 · 0.1%

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

Intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), lower dose (336 mg) vs Intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), higher dose (2688 mg)

Oral mucositis (any severity) · Adults receiving chemotherapy alone for colorectal cancer

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Insufficient evidence to determine whether lower (336 mg) or higher (2688 mg) dose performs better (Analyses 11.1 to 11.3); no pooled estimate reported
1 study · 66 participants
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

Zinc vs placebo

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

Interventions for managing taste disturbances 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Mean 3 months · Idiopathic dysgeusia
SMD 0.44 [0.23, 0.65]
3 studies · 366 participants
Very low

G‐CSF vs placebo or no treatment

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

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Chemotherapy alone for breast cancer
RR 0.33 [0.12, 0.95]
1 study · 14 participants
Very low

Erythropoietin mouthwash vs placebo

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

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RR 0.35 [0.21, 0.60]
1 study · 80 participants
GRADE not reported

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), oral spray vs placebo

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

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Radiotherapy to the head and neck
RR 4.38 [0.25, 75.44]
1 study · 113 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT to 12 months postRT
Insufficient evidence of a difference in stimulated salivary flow at any time point: end of RT MD -0.09 (95% CI -1.48 to 1.30); 3 months MD 0.38 (95% CI -1.43 to 2.19); 12 months MD 0.82 (95% CI -0.47 to 2.11);…
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Over 6 months
Insufficient evidence of a difference: dryness in mouth RR 1.18 (95% CI 0.97 to 1.42), diarrhoea RR 1.97 (95% CI 0.51 to 7.54), constipation RR 0.91 (95% CI 0.59 to 1.42) (Duncan 2005)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Antiseptic mouthrinse vs placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
No data on xerostomia were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
MD 20.20 [1.93, 38.47]
1 study · 34 participants
GRADE not reported

G‐CSF vs placebo or no treatment

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

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RT to head and neck
RR 0.16 [0.01, 2.86]
1 study · 40 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
12 months postRT
RR 1.45 [1.13, 1.86]
1 study · 175 participants
GRADE not reported

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

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

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
BMT/SCT after conditioning for haematological cancers
RR 0.89 [0.58, 1.34]
4 studies · 714 participants
GRADE not reported

Acupuncture vs sham control

Health‐related quality of life · Patients with idiopathic dysgeusia and hypogeusia

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for managing taste disturbances 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Results (health-related quality of life): Brandt 2008 assessed HRQoL in dysgeusia patients and reported significant improvement in psychological symptoms in the acupuncture group and increased quality of life in both…
1 study
GRADE not reported

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

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RR 0.25 [0.06, 1.08]
1 study · 60 participants
GRADE not reported