Nausea · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Amifostine may leads to higher nausea (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Side effects · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Low rates of adverse effects (watering eyes, nervousness, frequent urination, sweating, warm face, cramps, diarrhoea, nausea) with insufficient evidence of any differences (Jham 2007)
1 study
GRADE not reported
Quality of life and other oral related symptoms · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Insufficient evidence of a difference for global quality of life, mouth pain RR 0.94 (95% CI 0.66 to 1.33), sore/burning mouth RR 0.95 (95% CI 0.68 to 1.35), throat pain RR 0.79 (95% CI 0.56 to 1.12) (Duncan 2005)
1 study
GRADE not reported
Side effects (other: dryness in mouth, diarrhoea, constipation) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
1 finding from 1 review
Dry mouth (xerostomia) · 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
Speech difficulties (VAS 0-100 mm) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Pilocarpine led to higher speech difficulties (VAS 0-100 mm) compared with no treatment/placebo; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Vomiting · 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 vomiting (adverse effect) compared with amifostine 200 mg/m2 five times weekly; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Adverse effects ‐ Sweating · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Pilocarpine may leads to higher sweating (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
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
Adverse events: hypotension · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Amifostine may leads to higher hypotension (adverse effect) compared with no treatment/placebo (low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
Dysphagia (WHO grade 3+) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
Biperiden plus pilocarpine showed no clear difference in dysphagia (WHO grade 3+) compared with no treatment; GRADE not reported.
1 finding from 1 review
Quality of life (Patient Benefit Questionnaire, 10-point scale) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region
It is very uncertain whether amifostine changes quality of life (Patient Benefit Questionnaire, 10-point scale) compared with no treatment/placebo (very low certainty).
1 finding from 1 review
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
Dry mouth (xerostomia) · 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