Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32642950›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2020

The effects of zinc on radiation-induced dysgeusia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Woo J Chi, Jeffrey N Myers, Steven J Frank, Ruth A Aponte-Wesson, Adegbenga O Otun, Graciela M Nogueras-González, Yisheng Li, Yimin Geng, Mark S Chambers

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
1.9field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 27 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Acupuncture for chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia (AcuDysg): a randomized controlled trial.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026
    Trial
  2. Review
  3. [Mechanisms and Management of COVID-19-Associated Taste Disorders].Sichuan da xue xue bao. Yi xue ban = Journal of Sichuan University. Medical science edition · 2023
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Lactoferrin supplementation for taste and smell abnormalities among patients receiving cancer chemotherapy.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Woo J ChiDepartment of Hospital Dentistry, Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, USA. amoschi@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5934-0259
Jeffrey N MyersDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Steven J FrankDepartment of Radiation Oncology, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Ruth A Aponte-WessonSection of Oral Oncology and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Adegbenga O OtunSection of Oral Oncology and Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, Department of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Graciela M Nogueras-GonzálezDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Yisheng LiDepartment of Biostatistics, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Yimin GengResearch Medical Library, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA.
Mark S ChambersDepartment of Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA. mchamber@mdanderson.org.
The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center · USWalter Reed National Military Medical Center · US

Funding

Tumor Evolution and Metastasis ProgramP30CA016672 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI Fabien Delerue · 1985 to 2026
$290.8M
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMany head and neck cancer patients who receive radiation therapy experience radiation-induced dysgeusia (RID), which has no standard treatment. The only supplement controlled clinical trials have evaluated for the treatment of RID is zinc. However, the results of these and other studies investigating the use of zinc for RID have been inconsistent. To assess the validity of zinc as a treatment for RID, we conducted a systematic literature search and performed a meta-analysis to determine the extent to which zinc affects RID incidence and the degree to which ongoing RID responds to zinc.

methodsWe searched the Ovid MEDLINE, Ovid Embase, PubMed, and Cochrane Library databases to identify studies investigating the use of zinc-based therapy for RID in head and neck cancer patients treated with radiation that were published between January 1, 2003, and November 9, 2017. Using American Society of Clinical Oncology criteria, we selected studies with a high level of evidence for inclusion in the meta-analysis.

resultsOf the 32 full-text articles eligible for inclusion, three were included in the final review and meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that, compared with placebo, zinc reduces the incidence of RID (risk ratio, 0.72; 95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.92) but does not improve taste acuity more rapidly following radiation therapy (risk ratio, 2.58; 95% confidence interval, 0.97-6.88).

conclusionOur findings indicate that zinc-based therapy reduces the incidence of RID but has a minimal effect on ongoing RID. Our findings also highlight the need for additional evidence-based research on this topic.

Indexed as

Case-Control StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesDysgeusiaHead and Neck NeoplasmsHumansLongitudinal StudiesProspective StudiesRadiation InjuriesRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicZincZincMeta-analysisRadiation-induced dysgeusiaRadiotherapySystematic reviewZinc

Identifiers

PMID32642950
OpenAlexW3041837756

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.