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Meta-Analysis
. 2005 Jan 25;2005(1):CD004540.
doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004540.pub2.

Chinese medical herbs for chemotherapy side effects in colorectal cancer patients

W Taixiang  1 , A J Munro, L Guanjian
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Chinese medical herbs for chemotherapy side effects in colorectal cancer patients

W Taixiang et al. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. .

Abstract

Background: Side effects, including nausea and vomiting, sore mouth , diarrhoea, hepatotoxicity, myelosuppression, and immunosuppression , are commonly encountered in patients with colorectal cancer who are treated with chemotherapy. A variety of Chinese herbal medicines have been used for managing these adverse effects.

Objectives: To assess the effect of herbal medicines plus chemotherapy, compared with chemotherapy alone, on the side effects of chemotherapy on the quality of life, and on adverse events in patients with colorectal cancer.

Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CBM, and handsearched the relevant Chinese journals.

Selection criteria: Randomised trials comparing either chemotherapy only or chemotherapy plus anti-emetics (tropisetron, sulpiride etc) with chemotherapy plus Chinese herbs.

Data collection and analysis: Trial quality was assessed independently by two reviewers. Data were extracted by one reviewer and checked by the second reviewer. Since the four included studies differed significantly in design, we could only perform limited meta-analyses. We have therefore presented the majority of the data in narrative form.

Main results: We included four relevant trials. All of them were of low quality. All of studies used a decoction containing Huangqi compounds as the intervention with chemotherapy. The intervention groups of three studies were compared to a chemotherapy alone control group, the fourth study compared the decoction of Huangqi compounds with two other Chinese herbal interventions. None of the studies reported on primary outcome using Common Toxicity Criteria (CTC). There was a significant reduction in the proportion of patients who experienced nausea & vomiting when decoctions of Huangqi compounds were given in addition to chemotherapy. There was also a decrease in the rate of leucopenia (WBC <3 x 10(9) per L). Huangqi compounds were also associated with increases in the proportions of T-lymphocyte subsets: CD3; CD4 and CD8. Huangqi decoctions had no significant effects on Immunoglobulins G, A or M.

Authors' conclusions: Despite the included studies being of low quality, the results suggest that decoctions of Huangqi compounds may stimulate immunocompetent cells and decrease side effects in patients treated with chemotherapy. Due to the methodological limitations of the studies, there is no robust demonstration of benefit. We found no evidence of harm arising from the use of Chinese herbs. We need high quality randomised controlled studies investigating the effects of decoctions of Chinese herbs, particularly Astragalus spp.(as in Huangqi), upon chemotherapy-related side effects.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

None known.

Figures

1.1
1.1. Analysis
Comparison 1 nausea and vomiting, Outcome 1 rate of nausea and vomiting.
2.1
2.1. Analysis
Comparison 2 leucopenia, Outcome 1 proportion of patients with WBC <3.0 x 10^9 per L.
3.1
3.1. Analysis
Comparison 3 lymphocyte subsets, Outcome 1 percentage CD3‐positive cells.
3.2
3.2. Analysis
Comparison 3 lymphocyte subsets, Outcome 2 percentage CD4‐positive cells.
3.3
3.3. Analysis
Comparison 3 lymphocyte subsets, Outcome 3 percentage CD8‐positive cells.
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  • doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004540

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References

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