Findings

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351 questions · 362 findings · 10 reviews · All outcomes

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No studies found 41 · 11.3%GRADE not reported 285 · 78.7%Very low 10 · 2.8%Low 18 · 5%Moderate 8 · 2.2%High 0 · 0%

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

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

Oral mucositis (moderate to severe) · Children with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia receiving chemotherapy alone

Keratinocyte growth factor (KGF), intravenous led to lower oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with chlorhexidine mouthwash; 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
Children
RR 0.12 [0.05, 0.28]
1 study · 90 participants
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

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), higher dose (1260 to 12,600 micrograms) vs Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), lower dose (12.6 to 126 micrograms)

Oral mucositis (severe) · breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy

Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), higher… led to higher oral mucositis (severe) compared with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), lower…; 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 2.75 [1.07, 7.04]
1 study · 36 participants
GRADE not reported

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

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

Palifermin showed no clear difference in dysphagia 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
RR 1.32 [0.55, 3.13]
3 studies
GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Amifostine showed no clear difference in locoregional tumour control 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 0.90 [0.74, 1.11]
2 studies · 279 participants
GRADE not reported

Polaprezinc vs Azulene oral rinse

Disability of oral intake · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Polaprezinc showed no clear difference in disability of oral intake 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 0.31 [0.07, 1.31]
1 study · 31 participants
GRADE not reported

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) 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