Non-Cochrane · intervention · PM42346271
The Route of Administration Determines the Efficacy of Zinc in Preventing Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.
Tsao Chih-Sheng, Wang Kai-Yu, Liao Chih-Ying · Current oncology (Toronto, Ont.) · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.3390/curroncol33060371
Findings
Population Patients with head and neck cancer receiving radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy
3 findings
| Prophylactic zinc (any route) | Placebo, standard care or no treatment | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis During radiotherapy · Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer | RR 0.35 [0.17, 0.73] GRADE not reported 5 studies · 332 participants |
| Systemic (oral) zinc supplementation | Placebo, standard care or no treatment | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis During radiotherapy · Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer · Systemic zinc (oral capsules or syrup) | RR 0.52 [0.27, 1.01] Low Downgraded: imprecision, inconsistency 3 studies · 268 participants |
| Topical zinc mouthwash or rinse | Placebo, standard care or no treatment | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis During radiotherapy · Radiotherapy for head and neck cancer · Topical zinc (mouthwash or rinse) | RR 0.16 [0.05, 0.49] Moderate Downgraded: imprecision 2 studies · 64 participants |
Included primary studies 5
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sahebnasagh 2023 Prevention of radiotherapy-related oral mucositis with zinc and polyherbal mouthwash: a double-blind, randomized clinical trial. PMID:36864527 | 2023 | 1 other review | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis | not extracted yet |
| Ertekin 2004 Zinc sulfate in the prevention of radiation-induced oropharyngeal mucositis: a prospective, placebo-controlled, randomized study. PMID:14697435 | 2004 | this review only | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis | not extracted yet |
| Lin 2006 Zinc supplementation to improve mucositis and dermatitis in patients after radiotherapy for head-and-neck cancers: a double-blind,… PMID:16751063 | 2006 | this review only | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis | not extracted yet |
| Sangthawan 2013 A randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of zinc sulfate supplementation for alleviation of radiation-induced oral mucositis… PMID:23720981 | 2013 | this review only | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis | not extracted yet |
| Watanabe 2010 Polaprezinc prevents oral mucositis associated with radiochemotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer. PMID:20104529 | 2010 | this review only | Severe (Grade 3-4) radiation-induced oral mucositis | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
| Review | Shared studies | Jaccard |
|---|---|---|
| Efficacy of topical application of zinc compounds for oral mucosal diseases: A systematic review and meta-analysis. (2026) | 1 | 0.04 |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Patients with pathologically confirmed head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy | Head and neck cancer patients receiving radiotherapy (n=332; 169 zinc, 163 control) |
| Intervention | Zinc supplementation (systemic zinc sulfate, zinc gluconate, polaprezinc, or topical zinc mouthwash) | Systemic oral zinc (n=3 trials, 268 patients); topical zinc mouthwash (n=2 trials, 64 patients) |
| Comparison | Placebo, standard care or no treatment | Placebo or control (no zinc) |
| Outcomes | Incidence of severe (Grade 3-4) oral mucositis (RTOG, WHO or CTCAE) | Grade 3-4 oral mucositis incidence (n=5 trials) |
| Study designs | Randomized controlled trials | RCTs (n=5) |
| Timing | Not specified | During radiotherapy (approx. 6 to 8 weeks) |