What do systematic reviews say?

Chlorhexidine vs Cryotherapy (ice chips) 60 minutes

Chlorhexidine showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with cryotherapy (ice chips); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 1.16 [0.46, 2.92]
  1 study · 133 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chinese herbal medicines vs Control (Dobell's solution)

Chinese herbs (medicine) showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with control (Dobell's solution); GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.09 [0, 1.51]
  1 study · 147 participants
  GRADE not reported

G‐CSF vs placebo/no treatment

G-CSF led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo/no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.36 [0.15, 0.86]
  2 studies
  GRADE not reported

Antifungal drugs not absorbed from GI tract vs placebo or no treatment

Antifungal drugs not absorbed from GI tract showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.69 [0.47, 1.01]
  8 studies · 382 participants
  GRADE not reported

Amphotericin B vs placebo or no treatment

Amphotericin B showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.46 [0.18, 1.23]
  2 studies · 48 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine vs placebo or no treatment

Chlorhexidine showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.59 [0.19, 1.83]
  3 studies · 115 participants
  GRADE not reported

Itraconazole vs Fluconazole

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  1 study (Huijgens 1999); no evidence of a difference; single-study total not pooled
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Antifungal drugs absorbed from GI tract (fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole) vs placebo or no treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No trial reported this planned secondary outcome for any comparison in this review
  Studies not reported
  No studies found

Norfloxacin plus amphotericin B vs Amphotericin B

Norfloxacin plus amphotericin B showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with amphotericin B; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.38 [0.15, 1.0]
  1 study · 106 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine vs Chlorhexidine plus nystatin

Chlorhexidine showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with chlorhexidine plus nystatin; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 1.62 [0.64, 4.1]
  1 study · 52 participants
  GRADE not reported

Ketoconazole 400 mg vs Ketoconazole 200 mg

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  1 study (Scrimgeour 1985); no patient experienced oral candidiasis, not estimable
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Thymostimulin vs placebo or no treatment

Thymostimulin showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.4 [0.12, 1.32]
  1 study · 35 participants
  GRADE not reported

Antifungal drugs partially absorbed from GI tract (miconazole, clotrimazole) vs placebo or no treatment

Antifungal drugs partially absorbed from GI tract (miconazole,… led to lower oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.16 [0.06, 0.46]
  4 studies · 292 participants
  GRADE not reported

Nystatin vs Chlorhexidine plus nystatin

Nystatin showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with chlorhexidine plus nystatin; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 1.82 [0.73, 4.54]
  1 study · 50 participants
  GRADE not reported

Chlorhexidine vs Nystatin

Chlorhexidine showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with nystatin; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.89 [0.36, 2.21]
  1 study · 34 participants
  GRADE not reported

Nystatin vs placebo or no treatment

Nystatin showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.92 [0.78, 1.08]
  3 studies · 153 participants
  GRADE not reported

Nystatin vs Natamycin

Nystatin showed no clear difference in oral candidiasis (present) compared with natamycin; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 1.07 [0.83, 1.37]
  1 study · 28 participants
  GRADE not reported

Antifungal drugs absorbed from GI tract (fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole) vs Antifungal drugs not absorbed from GI tract

Antifungal drugs absorbed from GI tract led to lower oral candidiasis (present) compared with antifungal drugs not absorbed from GI tract; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.4 [0.21, 0.76]
  8 studies · 2103 participants
  GRADE not reported

Ketoconazole vs Itraconazole

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  1 study (Caselli 1990); no evidence of a difference; not estimable/not pooled
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Antifungal drugs absorbed from GI tract (fluconazole, ketoconazole, itraconazole) vs placebo or no treatment

Antifungal drugs absorbed from GI tract (fluconazole, ketoconazole,… led to lower oral candidiasis (present) compared with placebo or no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral candidiasis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2007 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.47 [0.29, 0.78]
  7 studies · 1153 participants
  GRADE not reported