Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

1,085 questions · 1,232 findings · 66 reviews · All outcomes

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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%

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

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

Polaprezinc led to lower xerostomia (severe) compared with azulene oral rinse; 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 0.17 [0.04, 0.65]
1 study · 31 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT
RR 0.39 [0.28, 0.55]
1 study · 140 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine (intravenous) vs Amifostine (subcutaneous)

Adverse 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
Increased hypotension with intravenous delivery (20% vs 8%; P = 0.007); skin rash (10% vs 22%; P = 0.012) and local pain at injection site (0% vs 8%; P = 0.001) worse with subcutaneous; inconclusive for…
1 study
GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs placebo

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

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RR 4.90 [2.87, 8.38]
5 studies · 601 participants
Low

Selenium vs no intervention

Quality of life and other oral related symptoms (loss of taste, dysphagia) · 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
Insufficient evidence of differences for loss of taste or dysphagia; data largely unusable (no standard deviations). Ageusia milder in selenium group (not significant); dysphagia significant only at week 7 (P = 0.05)…
1 study
GRADE not reported

Amifostine (intravenous) vs Amifostine (subcutaneous)

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

Amifostine (intravenous) showed no clear difference in overall survival compared with amifostine (subcutaneous); GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
48 months postRT
HR 1.36 [0.89, 2.10]
1 study
GRADE not reported

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

Allergic adverse events · 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 allergic response (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 1.00 [0.15, 6.64]
1 study · 60 participants
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
RR 2.91 [0.31, 27.24]
1 study · 130 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of RT; 1 month after RT
No evidence of a difference for Tianwang Buxin Mini-pills (Lin 2014, 71 participants) or Jinlong capsules (Han 2010, 95 participants)
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine 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 pilocarpine 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
Up to and including 6 months postRT
RR 1.07 [0.80, 1.43]
1 study · 60 participants
Very low

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

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

Polaprezinc led to lower oral pain (severe, > 2 on 0-3 scale) compared with azulene oral rinse; GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
Over RT period
RR 0.36 [0.17, 0.77]
1 study · 31 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of intervention to 3 months postRT
Insufficient evidence to determine any effect on quality of life (Lin 2014; Analysis 6.5)
1 study
GRADE not reported

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