Observational studyRadiation oncology (London, England)2025
Prevalence of late xerostomia and hyposalivation with associated risk factors in survivors of head and neck cancer after radiotherapy: a multi-centric cross-sectional study.
Observational study in Radiation oncology (London, England), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 1 of them a synthesis 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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Treatment of Xerostomia with Mesenchymal Stem Cells - A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials.Stem cell reviews and reports · 2026Pooled it
- Nutritional Amino Acid Supplementation Reduces Severity and Enhances Recovery of Radiation-Induced Oral Mucositis: A Triple-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial.Journal of oral rehabilitation · 2026Trial
- Efficacy of topical erythropoietin gel and mouthwash for recurrent aphthous stomatitis in a randomized clinical trial.Scientific reports · 2026Trial
- Head and Neck Radiotherapy Short-Term Oral Complications: Effect on Oral Health-Related Quality of Life at Dharmais Cancer Hospital.European journal of dentistry · 2026Article
- Assessing bioactivity and biointegration of engineered salivary tissue constructs in a preclinical unilateral fractionated irradiated rat model.Acta biomaterialia · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Photobiomodulation as a Treatment for Xerostomia in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiotherapy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Dentistry journal · 2026Review
- Photobiomodulation for salivary gland dysfunction: aligning clinical expectations with etiology-dependent treatment responsiveness.Lasers in medical science · 2026Review
- Post-Radiation Dental Care Access Among Head and Neck Cancer Survivors: A Safety Net Perspective.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2026Article
- Longitudinal periodontal deterioration and salivary dysfunction following head and neck radiotherapy: a prospective multicenter cohort study.Odontology · 2026Article
- Oral status associated with xerostomia and oral health-related quality of life: an older population-based cross-sectional study in China.BMC geriatrics · 2026Article
- Application of personalized nursing based on dynamic monitoring of oral pH in oral management of patients with hematological diseases undergoing chemotherapy.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Improving Survival Prediction of Head and Neck Cancer Patients by Modeling Long-term Symptom Burden.Proceedings. IEEE International Conference on Healthcare Informatics · 2026Article
- Longitudinal Swallowing and Salivary Changes With CLR 131 and Re-Irradiation in Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer.Head & neck · 2026Article
- Effect of intraoral and extraoral photobiomodulation on salivary oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines in patients with radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Oral dryness related symptoms in radiation-treated head and neck cancer patients: a pilot study of oral microbiome composition and function.BMC microbiology · 2026Article
- Nutritional characteristics of patients with dry mouth and/or Sjögren disease in a Hungarian cohort.Frontiers in dental medicine · 2026Article
- Age, Dental State and General Health as Risk Factors for Xerostomia and Hyposalivation.International journal of dentistry · 2026Article
- Reliable assessment of oral dryness in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus using the Romanian version of the Summated Xerostomia Inventory.Frontiers in oral health · 2026Article
- Oral health-related quality of life in head and neck cancer survivors in Egypt within the first year after radiotherapy: a multivariable analysis.BMC oral health · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectivesThis study aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors associated with late xerostomia and hyposalivation in head and neck cancer (HNC) patients after radiotherapy (RT). MATERIALS AND
methodsAn observational, multicentric cross-sectional study was conducted on 260 HNC patients attending various radiation centers for follow up 1-year post-treatment. Clinical assessments included the Subjective Dry Mouth Score (SXI), Clinical Oral Dryness Score (CODS), and Unstimulated Salivary Flow Rate (UWS).
resultsXerostomia was reported by 78% of patients, with higher severity in those over 50 years (Mean ± SD: 13.53 ± 1.09). Women showed lower salivary flow (UWS: r = 0.556, p < 0.0001) and higher xerostomia scores (SXI: r = 0.337, CODS: r = 0.359) than men. Tumor site correlated strongly with xerostomia (SXI: r = 0.894, p < 0.001), with oral cavity tumors showing more severe effects than nasopharyngeal tumors. Higher RT dose and fraction were negatively associated with UWS (r = -0.537, p < 0.0001) and positively correlated with SXI (r = 0.293) and CODS (r = 0.405, p < 0.0001). The regression models showed that xerostomia severity is significantly predicted by advanced tumor stage, female gender, older age, and higher radiation dose exposure.
conclusionsThe study reveals a high prevalence of xerostomia and hyposalivation among HNC survivors. Increased xerostomia severity and decreased salivary flow were significantly associated with advanced tumor stage, higher radiation doses, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding risk factors can guide early interventions and personalized management to enhance long-term oral health outcomes.
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.