The efficacy of positioning stents in preventing Oral complications after head and neck radiotherapy: a systematic literature review

BACKGROUND: Positioning stent in head and neck radiotherapy seems to have benefit to prevent oral complications but it hasn’t been summarized by an evidence-based method. OBJECTIVES: This review aims to evaluate the efficacy of positioning stents in preventing oral complications after radiotherapy. METHODS: We conducted an electronic search in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane CDSR, and Cochrane CENTRAL database for randomized-controlled clinical trials, controlled clinical trials and cohort studies that assessed oral complications after head and neck radiotherapy with positioning stents. Two reviewers extracted information on radiotherapy, follow-up period, oral complications and assessments independently. RESULTS: Three RCTs and two cohort studies were included in this review. Oral complications such as mucositis, xerostomia, taste alteration, trismus, salivary changes, dysphagia and pain on swallowing were assessed by different methods in these studies. CONCLUSIONS: Oral complications were common in patients after head and neck radiotherapy. There is insufficient evidence that positioning stents have a preventive effect against xerostomia, and it needs more high-quality and prospective trials with long-term follow-up to support it.