Mucositis Search Strategy and Results

Initial references prior to update: 63

Databases searched for update: PubMed, CINAHL

Search results of literature retrieved May 1, 2008–Jan. 1, 2019:

  • PubMed:
    • Mucositis[ti] OR Mucositis[majr] OR "oral complication*" AND ("2008/05/01"[PDAT] : "2019/01/01"[PDAT] AND cancer[sb] AND English[lang])
    • 1,993 citations retrieved
  • CINAHL:
    • (MM "Mucositis" OR MM "Stomatitis" OR TI Mucositis OR TI stomatitis OR "oral complication*") AND (cancer OR neoplasms OR oncolog* OR chemotherap*) 
    • Limiters: Published Date: 20080501-20190101
    • 789 citations retrieved

436 titles were selected for full article review.

293 final studies were included after the removal of duplicates and studies that did not meet inclusion criteria and the addition of manuscripts retrieved in other topics meeting mucositis-specific criteria.

Inclusion Criteria: 

  1. Full research report, systematic review, guideline, or meta-analysis
  2. Study must report results of measurement of oral mucositis
  3. The study examines an intervention aimed at affecting the problem of oral mucositis. 
  4. Study sample must include patients with cancer
  5. As of 1/1/2016, additional inclusions are (a) sample size of at least 40 or 20 per study group, and (b) for complex interventions, the description of the intervention must be sufficient to identify the components of that intervention.

Exclusion Criteria: 

  1. Grey literature
  2. Descriptive studies
  3. Studies reporting intervention effects on the pain of mucositis but not the actual incidence or severity of the symptom itself