Efficacy of bethanechol chloride in the treatment of radiation-induced xerostomia in patients with head and neck cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Abstract

Salivary glands sustain collateral damage following radiotherapy (RT) to treat cancers of the head and neck, leading to complications, including xerostomia and hyposalivation. This systematic review (SR) with meta-analysis was performed to determine the effectiveness of bethanechol chloride in preventing salivary gland dysfunction in this context. Medline/Pubmed, Embase, Scopus, LILACS via Portal Regional BVS and Web of Science were searched electronically in accordance with the Cochrane manual and reported PRISMA guidelines. 170 patients from three studies were included. Results from the meta-analysis suggest that bethanechol chloride is associated with increases in: whole stimulating saliva (WSS) after RT (Std. MD 0.66, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.03, P < 0.001); whole resting saliva (WRS) during RT (Std. MD 0.4, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.76, P = 0.03); and WRS after RT (Std. MD 0.45, 95% CI 0.04 to 0.86, P = 0.03). The present study suggests that bethanechol chloride therapy may be effective in patients with xerostomia and hyposalivation.