Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

145 questions · 157 findings · 13 reviews · Pain, Palliative and Supportive Care

No studies found 46 · 29.3%GRADE not reported 11 · 7%Very low 43 · 27.4%Low 39 · 24.8%Moderate 14 · 8.9%High 4 · 2.5%

Adverse effects (side effects; treatment withdrawals) · Patients with radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction

1 finding from 1 review

Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
Johnson 1993 (5 mg tds): sweating 37%, headache 15%, urinary frequency 14%, vasodilatation 12%, dizziness 10%, dyspepsia 10%, nausea 8%, asthenia 8%, diarrhoea 5%; 6% withdrew at 5 mg tds and 29% at 10 mg tds. LeVeque…
2 studies · 278 participants
GRADE not reported

Other oral symptoms (dysgeusia, dysphagia) · Patients with radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction

1 finding from 1 review

Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
Davies 1994 assessed dysgeusia and dysphagia; pilocarpine reported more effective than mucin-based artificial saliva for dysgeusia. No pooled data.
1 study · 20 participants
GRADE not reported

Dry mouth (xerostomia) · Patients with radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction

1 finding from 1 review

Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
Davies 1994 (cross-over, 20 participants): mean improvement in VAS score 22.5 mm with pilocarpine vs 15.2 mm with artificial saliva (100 mm scale). The improvement was greater with pilocarpine but was not statistically…
1 study · 20 participants
GRADE not reported

Adverse effects (side effects; treatment withdrawals) · Patients with radiation-induced salivary gland dysfunction

1 finding from 1 review

Parasympathomimetic drugs for the treatment of salivary gland dysfunction due to radiotherapy 2015 · Cochrane All outcomes
Davies 1994: main side effects with pilocarpine were nausea 20%, sweating 15%, lacrimation 10%. One participant definitely withdrew because of side effects; another may have.
1 study · 20 participants
GRADE not reported

Fatigue score change

1 finding from 1 review

Drug therapy for the management of cancer‐related fatigue 2010 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only
no estimate extracted
5 studies · 410 participants
High