Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

1,085 questions · 1,232 findings · 66 reviews · Oral Health

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No studies found 218 · 17.7%GRADE not reported 745 · 60.5%Very low 179 · 14.5%Low 65 · 5.3%Moderate 25 · 2%High 0 · 0%

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

Dry mouth (xerostomia) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol showed no clear difference in xerostomia (dry mouth, yes/no) 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
RR 0.56 [0.30, 1.05]
1 study · 30 participants
GRADE not reported
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
RR 0.63 [0.30, 1.29]
1 study · 36 participants
GRADE not reported

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

Salivary flow rate · 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 salivary flow rates were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

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 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
End of RT
MD 0.12 [0.01, 0.23]
1 study · 36 participants
GRADE not reported
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
8 to 40 weeks postRT
MD 0.07 [-0.02, 0.16]
1 study · 33 participants
GRADE not reported

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

Progression‐free survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Palifermin showed no clear difference in progression-free survival 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
42 to 72 months from baseline
HR 1.06 [0.80, 1.42]
3 studies
GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

Overall survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Bethanechol showed no clear difference in overall survival compared with artificial saliva; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
40 weeks postRT
RR 1.59 [0.43, 5.84]
1 study · 43 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Dysphagia (grade >= 3, 0-4 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine showed no clear difference in dysphagia (grade >= 3, 0-4 scale) 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; up to 3 months postRT
RR 0.50 [0.17, 1.48]
2 studies · 73 participants
GRADE not reported

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

Side effects · 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 adverse events were reported.
0 studies
No studies found

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

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
Tumour response by RECIST criteria reported for a specific group of patients only; no usable survival data (Watanabe 2010)
1 study
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine 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

Chinese medicine led to higher salivary flow rate (stimulated) 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 0.09 [0.03, 0.15]
1 study · 50 participants
GRADE not reported

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

Xerostomia (grade >= 2, 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 xerostomia (grade >= 2, 0-4 scale) compared with placebo (low certainty).

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Up to and including 3 months postRT
RR 0.97 [0.77, 1.22]
3 studies · 471 participants
Low

Antiseptic mouthrinse vs placebo

Drooling (hyposialosis) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Antiseptic mouthrinse showed no clear difference in drooling (hyposialosis) 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
4 weeks from baseline
RR 1.43 [0.46, 4.39]
1 study · 24 participants
GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

Quality of life (McMaster HNRQ, 1-7 scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

It is very uncertain whether pilocarpine changes quality of life (McMaster HNRQ, 1-7 scale) 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
Up to and including 6 months postRT
MD 0.20 [-0.19, 0.59]
1 study · 90 participants
Very low

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Disease-free survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine showed no clear difference in disease-free survival 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
24 months postRT
RR 0.94 [0.73, 1.21]
1 study · 170 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/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
End of intervention; 1 month after RT
Insufficient evidence of a difference for any side effects
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Quality of life · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine showed no clear difference in quality of life 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; up to 3 months postRT
MD 0.52 [-0.02, 1.06]
1 study · 233 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes salivary flow rate (mg/5 min, unstimulated) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).

2 findings from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
12 months postRT
MD 0.32 [0.09, 0.55]
1 study · 27 participants
Very low
Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
MD 0.34 [0.07, 0.61]
83 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Progression‐free survival · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Amifostine showed no clear difference in progression-free survival 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 to 24 months postRT
HR 0.94 [0.70, 1.27]
2 studies · 247 participants
GRADE not reported

Biperiden plus pilocarpine vs no treatment

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
Survival not reported.
0 studies
No studies found

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

Salivary flow rate · 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
None of the trials evaluating palifermin provided data on salivary flow rates.
0 studies
No studies found

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Amifostine led to lower dysgeusia (grade >= 2, 0-4 scale) 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
RR 0.24 [0.10, 0.61]
1 study · 28 participants
GRADE not reported