What do systematic reviews say?

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

Amifostine 200 mg/m2 three times weekly showed no clear difference in vomiting (adverse effect) compared with amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly; GRADE not reported.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 0.25 [0.06, 1.08]
  1 study · 60 participants
  GRADE not reported

Pilocarpine vs no treatment/placebo

Pilocarpine may leads to higher sweating (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 2.98 [1.43, 6.22]
  5 studies · 389 participants
  Low

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

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  End of RT and 6, 12, 18, 24 months postRT
  No significant differences between the three treatment arms (Jellema 2006)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Venalot Depot (coumarin plus troxerutin) vs placebo

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  Sialometric data dropped to an unmeasurable level in both groups; abandoned as a marker of efficacy (Grotz 2001)
  1 study
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

Amifostine may leads to higher hypotension (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 9.20 [2.84, 29.83]
  3 studies · 376 participants
  Low

Biperiden plus pilocarpine vs no treatment

Biperiden plus pilocarpine showed no clear difference in dysphagia (WHO grade 3+) compared with no treatment; GRADE not reported.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months postRT
  RR 0.25 [0.03, 2.11]
  1 study · 60 participants
  GRADE not reported

Amifostine vs no treatment/placebo

It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes quality of life (Patient Benefit Questionnaire, 10-point scale) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  12 months postRT
  MD 0.70 [0.20, 1.20]
  1 study · 180 participants
  Very low

Biperiden plus pilocarpine vs no treatment

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes

  End of RT
  Insufficient evidence, from a single trial of 60 participants, to determine the effect on unstimulated salivary flow rate at the end of RT (Rode 1999; Analysis 2.1)
  1 study · 60 participants
  GRADE not reported

Intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), oral spray vs placebo

Intestinal trefoil factor (ITF), oral spray showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

• Interventions for preventing oral mucositis in patients with cancer receiving treatment: cytokines and growth factors 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  RR 1.52 [0.06, 36.39]
  1 study · 99 participants
  GRADE not reported

Bethanechol vs Artificial saliva

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• 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

Selenium vs no intervention

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• 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

Biperiden plus pilocarpine vs no treatment

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
  No xerostomia data related to the effectiveness of biperiden and pilocarpine were reported (Rode 1999).
  0 studies
  No studies found

Antimicrobial lozenge vs placebo

The review found no eligible studies for this question.

• 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

Camomile vs placebo

Camomile showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.89 [0.62, 1.27]
  1 study · 164 participants
  GRADE not reported

Indigo wood root vs saline placebo

Indigo wood root showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with saline (placebo); GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.75 [0.5, 1.1]
  1 study · 20 participants
  GRADE not reported

Sucralfate vs placebo or usual care

Sucralfate showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) compared with placebo/usual care (moderate certainty).

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.98 [0.88, 1.1]
  3 studies · 222 participants
  Moderate

Intestinal trefoil factor vs placebo

Intestinal trefoil factor showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 1.52 [0.06, 36.39]
  1 study · 99 participants
  GRADE not reported

Zinc sulphate vs placebo

Zinc sulphate led to lower oral mucositis (severe) compared with placebo; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.05 [0, 0.75]
  1 study · 27 participants
  GRADE not reported

Glutamine vs placebo or usual care

Glutamine showed no clear difference in oral mucositis (any severity) compared with placebo/usual care; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.78 [0.57, 1.08]
  5 studies
  GRADE not reported

Polaprezinc vs Azulene

Polaprezinc led to lower oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with azulene; GRADE not reported.

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

  Median 28 days
  RR 0.43 [0.22, 0.84]
  1 study · 31 participants
  GRADE not reported