SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2015
Systematic literature review: xerostomia in advanced cancer patients.
Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 17 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Effect of Pilocarpine in Patients With Xerostomia
Effect of Diluted Thyme Honey On Dry Mouth In Intensive Care Unit Patients Exposed to Oxygen Flow Therapy: A Randomized Controlled Study
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 49 citations in OpenAlex.
- Dry mouth in palliative care: A systematic review of clinical practice guidelines around the world.Palliative medicine · 2026Pooled it
- MASCC/ISOO expert opinion on the management of oral problems in patients with advanced cancer.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022Guideline
- A systematic review of the effects of acupuncture on xerostomia and hyposalivation.BMC complementary and alternative medicine · 2018Pooled it
- Methodological Review: Summary of Findings for Acupuncture as Treatment for Cancer Therapy-induced Xerostomia.In vivo (Athens, Greece)Pooled it
- Acupuncture for Radiation-Induced Xerostomia in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Integrative cancer therapiesPooled it
- Evaluation of salivary nitric oxide levels and anxiety in multiple sclerosis patients, with and without Xerostomia: correlation with clinical variables.BMC oral health · 2025Observational
- Clinical outcomes of NBF gel application in managing mucositis associated with xerostomia.Maxillofacial plastic and reconstructive surgery · 2024Article
- Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma: Focus on Biomarkers for Screening.Journal of dentistry (Shiraz, Iran) · 2024Review
- Salivary inflammatory mediators as biomarkers for oral mucositis and oral mucosal dryness in cancer patients: A pilot study.PloS one · 2022Article
- Palliative care assessment of dry mouth: what matters most to patients with advanced disease?Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2020Article
- Endogenous salivary citrate is associated with enhanced rheological properties following oral capsaicin stimulation.Experimental physiology · 2020Article
- Acupuncture for patients with cancer-induced xerostomia: a systematic review protocol.BMJ open · 2019Article
- Evidence, safety and recommendations for when to use acupuncture for treating cancer related symptoms: a narrative review.Integrative medicine research · 2019Review
- MIST1, an Inductive Signal for Salivary Amylase in Mesenchymal Stem Cells.International journal of molecular sciences · 2019Article
- Guide for health professionals addressing oral care for individuals in oncological treatment based on scientific evidence.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2018Article
- Prevalence of oral mucositis, dry mouth, and dysphagia in advanced cancer patients.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2015Article
- Radiation-induced Oral Mucositis in Brazilian Patients: Prevalence and Associated Factors.In vivo (Athens, Greece)Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeDry mouth (xerostomia) is one of the commonest symptoms in cancer patients and can adversely affect quality of life. The aim of this review was to determine the effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions in treating xerostomia in adult advanced cancer patients.
methodsThe literature search was performed in February 2014 using databases including EMBASE, MEDLINE, CINAHL, BNI and Cochrane library. The search was carried out using standard MeSH terms and was limited to adult population and English language. Studies investigating xerostomia secondary to head and neck cancer treatment and autoimmune disease were excluded. Titles and abstracts were screened and reviewed for eligibility. Only studies involving primary research were included in the analysis.
resultsSix studies met the eligibility criteria for review: three randomized controlled trials and three prospective studies. The quality assessment and reporting was performed using PRISMA, Jadad and STROBE. These studies compared acupuncture, pilocarpine, Saliva Orthana and chewing gum with each other or with placebo. All interventions were considered effective in treating xerostomia. However, effectiveness versus placebo could not be demonstrated for Saliva Orthana. Meta-analysis could not be performed due to heterogeneity of the study type and intervention.
conclusionLimited published data exists reporting the effectiveness of measures in the treatment of xerostomia in cancer patients. Based on primary research of low quality, firm conclusions cannot be drawn. However, pilocarpine, artificial saliva, chewing gum and acupuncture can be tried based on the available data. This highlights the explicit need to improve our evidence base. Properly constructed randomized controlled trials demonstrating effectiveness of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for dry mouth are required.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.