title: Efficacy of oral cryotherapy on oral mucositis prevention in patients with hematological malignancies undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Controversy exists regarding whether oral cryotherapy can prevent oral mucositis (OM) in patients with hematological malignancies undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The aim of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy of oral cryotherapy for OM prevention in patients with hematological malignancies undergoing HSCT.
  
  
  METHODS
  PubMed and the Cochrane Library were searched through October 2014. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of oral cryotherapy with no treatment or with other interventions for OM in patients undergoing HSCT were included. The primary outcomes were the incidence, severity, and duration of OM. The secondary outcomes included length of analgesic use, total parenteral nutrition (TPN) use, and length of hospital stay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Seven RCTs involving eight articles analyzing 458 patients were included. Oral cryotherapy significantly decreased the incidence of severe OM (RR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.27 to 0.99) and OM severity (SMD = -2.07, 95% CI = -3.90 to -0.25). In addition, the duration of TPN use and the length of hospitalization were markedly reduced (SMD = -0.56, 95% CI = -0.92 to -0.19; SMD = -0.44, 95% CI = -0.76 to -0.13; respectively). However, the pooled results were uncertain for the duration of OM and analgesic use (SMD = -0.13, 95% CI = -0.41 to 0.15; SMD = -1.15, 95% CI = -2.57 to 0.27; respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Oral cryotherapy is a readily applicable and cost-effective prophylaxis for OM in patients undergoing HSCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China; Department of Hematology and Oncology, Laoshan Branch, Chinese PLA 401 Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Zhenyang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Laoshan Branch, Chinese PLA 401 Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Ruiren
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Shasha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dandan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Xiaoli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Huaping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Oncology, Laoshan Branch, Chinese PLA 401 Hospital, Qingdao, China.
authors.forename: Zhaoxia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Lili
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Daihong
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Quanshun
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Chunji
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D017679:Cryotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D039781:PubMed; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*