Findings

What do systematic reviews say?

11 questions · 11 findings · 3 reviews · Oral medicine and oral cancer · All outcomes

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No studies found 0 · 0%GRADE not reported 10 · 90.9%Very low 1 · 9.1%Low 0 · 0%Moderate 0 · 0%High 0 · 0%

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

Xerostomia (other Chinese medicines) · 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; 1 month after RT
No evidence of a difference for Tianwang Buxin Mini-pills (Lin 2014, 71 participants) or Jinlong capsules (Han 2010, 95 participants)
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine 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

Chinese medicine led to higher salivary flow rate (stimulated) 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
End of RT
MD 0.09 [0.03, 0.15]
1 study · 50 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/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
End of intervention; 1 month after RT
Insufficient evidence of a difference for any side effects
2 studies
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

Xerostomia (VAS) · 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
Difference in favour of Chinese medicine on VAS xerostomia (P < 0.05); standard deviations not available (Wang 1998)
1 study · 50 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

Dry mouth (xerostomia) · Patients receiving radiotherapy on its own or in addition to chemotherapy to the head and neck region

Chinese medicine led to lower xerostomia (dichotomous, Shenqi Fanghou recipe) 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
End of RT
RR 0.39 [0.28, 0.55]
1 study · 140 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese medicine vs no treatment/placebo

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

Pharmacological interventions for preventing dry mouth and salivary gland dysfunction following radiotherapy 2017 · Cochrane All outcomes
End of intervention to 3 months postRT
Insufficient evidence to determine any effect on quality of life (Lin 2014; Analysis 6.5)
1 study
GRADE not reported

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

Chinese herbal medicines vs Control (Dobell's solution)

Oral mucositis (moderate to severe) · Patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapies

Chinese herbs (medicine) led to lower oral mucositis (moderate to severe) compared with control (Dobell's solution); GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
Median 28 days
RR 0.27 [0.09, 0.77]
1 study · 147 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese herbal medicines vs Control (Dobell's solution)

Oral mucositis (any severity) · Patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapies

Chinese herbs (medicine) led to lower oral mucositis (any severity) compared with control (Dobell's solution); GRADE not reported.

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for preventing oral mucositis for patients with cancer receiving treatment 2011 · Cochrane All outcomes
Median 28 days
RR 0.44 [0.2, 0.95]
1 study · 147 participants
GRADE not reported

Chinese herbal medicines vs Control (Dobell's solution)

Oral mucositis (severe) · Patients with cancer receiving radiotherapy, chemotherapy or targeted therapies

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

1 finding from 1 review

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

Integrated Chinese and Western medicine (incl. oral prednisone) vs Western medicine (incl. oral prednisone)

Clinical score · People with symptomatic, biopsy-confirmed oral lichen planus (OLP); not concurrently receiving other OLP treatment

1 finding from 1 review

Interventions for treating oral lichen planus: corticosteroid therapies 2020 · Cochrane All outcomes
Xu 2002: benefit favouring integrated Chinese and Western medicine, just attained statistical significance (very low-certainty; high risk of bias)
1 study
Very low