title: Effectiveness of Chinese herbal medicine for cancer palliative care: overview of systematic reviews with meta-analyses.
abstract: Chinese herbal medicines (CHM) are often used in managing cancer related symptoms but their effectiveness and safety is controversial. We conducted this overview of meta-analyses to summarize evidence on CHM for cancer palliative care. We included systematic reviews (SRs) with meta-analyses of CHM clinical trials on patients diagnosed with any type of cancer. Methodological quality of included meta-analyses was assessed with the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) Instrument. Fifty-one SRs with meta-analyses were included. They covered patients with lung (20 SRs), gastric (8 SRs), colorectal (6 SRs), liver (6 SRs), breast (2 SRs), cervical (1 SR), esophageal (1 SR), and nasopharyngeal (1 SR) cancers. Six SRs summarized evidence on various types of cancer. Methodological quality of included meta-analyses was not satisfactory. Overall, favorable therapeutic effects in improving quality of life among cancer patients have been reported. Conflicting evidence exists for the effectiveness of CHM in prolonging survival and in reducing chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy related toxicities. No serious adverse effects were reported in all included studies. Evidence indicated that CHM could be considered as an option for improving quality of life among patients receiving palliative care. It is unclear if CHM may increase survival, or reduce therapy related toxicities.
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Vincent C H
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Xinyin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Comprehensive Cancer Trials Unit, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Edwin P
authors.initials: EP
authors.lastname: Hui
authors.affiliation: Chinese Medicine Department, Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Eric T C
authors.initials: ET
authors.lastname: Ziea
authors.affiliation: Chinese Medicine Department, Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Bacon F L
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Ng
authors.affiliation: Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Robin S T
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Big Data Decision Analytics Research Centre, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Kelvin K F
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Tsoi
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Samuel Y S
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Institute of Integrative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.|Department of Medicine &Therapeutics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Justin C Y
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009026:Mortality; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000401:mortality; D010166:Palliative Care / Q000379:methods; D011788:Quality of Life; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal