Meta-analysis of the effect of non-pharmacological interventions on the development of dysgeusia in patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

This study was conducted by searching electronic databases from January 1, 2000 to August 8, 2023: Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Scopus, Google Scholar, China Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), China National Knowledge Network (CNKI), China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) and Wan-fang Database were included in 14 studies with a total sample size of 1630 cases. This study conducted a meta-analysis of the literature published in recent years on the occurrence of dysgeusia in Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) patients with non-pharmacological treatment, in order to provide the latest evidence-based evidence for medical staff and provide a basis for further intervention of dysgeusia in HNSCC patients. Compared with conventional care in the control group, In the experimental group, the non-pharmacological intervention reduced the score of dysgeusia [MD = − 0.76, 95% CI (− 1.04, − 0.48), P < 0.00001] and the incidence of dysgeusia [MD = 0.17, 95% CI (0.09, 0.31), P < 0.00001].