What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis and literature review to evaluate the effectiveness of various treatments for radiation-induced salivary hypofunction and xerostomia in head and neck cancer patients.
What They Found
The meta-analysis, which included 8 articles from a review of 14, found that cholinergic agonists were more effective in treating radiation-induced hyposalivation. Salivary substitutes and hyperbaric oxygen also subjectively improved patients' perception of xerostomia.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients experiencing dry mouth after radiation therapy for head and neck cancer may find cholinergic agonists to be the most effective treatment. Other options like salivary substitutes and hyperbaric oxygen could also help alleviate the subjective discomfort of xerostomia.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no specific Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
The study's findings are limited by the small number of articles included in the meta-analysis and the varying quality of the available literature.