Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

1,106 questions · 1,152 findings · 69 reviews

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No studies found 216 · 18.8%GRADE not reported 448 · 38.9%Very low 122 · 10.6%Low 195 · 16.9%Moderate 127 · 11%High 44 · 3.8%

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

Overall survival · 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
12 months postRT
Insufficient evidence to determine any effect on overall survival (Hu 2005; Analysis 6.4)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
Insufficient evidence of a difference: oral discomfort MD -18.00 (95% CI -37.41 to 1.41); eating difficulties MD -14.40 (95% CI -35.38 to 6.58); mucosal pain MD -14.80 (95% CI -37.07 to 7.47); oral complications RR…
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Amifostine (intravenous) vs Amifostine (subcutaneous)

Quality of life · 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 either quality of life or other oral related symptoms were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

Salivary flow rate (stimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol led to higher salivary flow rate (stimulated, ml/min) compared with artificial saliva; GRADE not reported.

2 findings from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
8 to 40 weeks postRT
MD 0.21 [0.01, 0.41]
1 study · 29 participants
GRADE not reported
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
MD 0.13 [-0.03, 0.29]
1 study · 32 participants
GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs placebo

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
No statistical difference between groups in bethanechol-related toxicity; no patient experienced severe (grade 3) toxicity (Jaguar 2015)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Amifostine (intravenous) vs Amifostine (subcutaneous)

Xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-4 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine (intravenous) led to lower xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-4 scale) compared with amifostine (subcutaneous); GRADE not reported.

2 findings from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
12 months postRT
RR 0.61 [0.42, 0.88]
1 study · 127 participants
GRADE not reported
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Up to and including 3 months postRT
RR 1.03 [0.76, 1.40]
1 study · 263 participants
GRADE not reported

Antiseptic mouthrinse vs placebo

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
No relevant adverse events were reported in any group (Lanzos 2010)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs placebo

Xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-3 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol led to lower xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-3 scale) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

2 findings from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
RR 0.43 [0.28, 0.66]
1 study · 84 participants
GRADE not reported
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Up to and including 3 months postRT
RR 0.81 [0.65, 1.01]
1 study · 84 participants
GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs placebo

Salivary flow rate (stimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol showed no clear difference in salivary flow rate (stimulated, ml/min) 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
2 months postRT
MD 0.15 [-0.03, 0.33]
1 study · 97 participants
GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine 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
Any time point
No evidence of a difference between treatment groups for stimulated salivary flow at any time point (Analysis 1.5)
8 studies
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
12 to 24 months postRT
HR 1.18 [0.85, 1.66]
2 studies · 271 participants
Very low

Bethanechol vs placebo

Salivary flow rate (unstimulated) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol led to higher salivary flow rate (unstimulated, ml/min) 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
2 months postRT
MD 0.19 [0.06, 0.32]
1 study · 97 participants
GRADE not reported

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

Survival · 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 survival data were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

Survival (locoregional control) · 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
Unable to use the data on locoregional control (Grotz 2001)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Chemotherapy alone vs same chemotherapy plus radiotherapy

Secondary malignant neoplasms · Patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (early and advanced stages)

Chemotherapy alone may leads to lower secondary malignant neoplasms compared with same chemotherapy plus radiotherapy (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
OR 0.43 [0.23, 0.82]
3 studies · 1011 participants
Low

Fewer vs more courses of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy

Secondary malignant neoplasms · Patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (early stages)

Fewer showed no clear difference in secondary malignant neoplasms compared with more courses of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
OR 1.1 [0.74, 1.62]
3 studies · 2403 participants
Moderate

Fewer vs more courses of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy

Death · Patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (early stages)

Fewer showed no clear difference in death compared with more courses of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy (high certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
HR 0.99 [0.73, 1.34]
3 studies · 2403 participants
High

Fewer vs more courses of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy

Progression/relapse · Patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (early stages)

Fewer showed no clear difference in progression/relapse compared with more courses of chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy (high certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
HR 1.15 [0.91, 1.45]
3 studies · 2403 participants
High

Dose‐intensified chemotherapy vs ABVD‐like chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy

Secondary malignant neoplasms · Patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (advanced stages)

Dose‐intensified chemotherapy showed no clear difference in secondary malignant neoplasms compared with ABVD‐like chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
OR 1.37 [0.89, 2.1]
7 studies · 2996 participants
Low

Dose‐intensified chemotherapy vs ABVD‐like chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy

Death · Patients with untreated Hodgkin lymphoma (advanced stages)

Dose‐intensified chemotherapy showed no clear difference in death compared with ABVD‐like chemotherapy (with or without radiotherapy (moderate certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Optimisation of chemotherapy and radiotherapy for untreated Hodgkin lymphoma patients with respect to second malignant… 2017 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
HR 0.85 [0.7, 1.04]
7 studies · 2996 participants
Moderate