Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32148549›Full record

ArticleEvidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM2020

Statement to an Insufficient Systematic Review on

Harald Matthes, Anja Thronicke, Ralf-Dieter Hofheinz, Erik Baars, David Martin, Roman Huber, Thomas Breitkreuz, Gil Bar-Sela, Daniel Galun, Friedemann Schad

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 12 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
12citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

12 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Systematic analysis of mistletoe prescriptions in clinical studies.Journal of cancer research and clinical oncology · 2023
    Pooled it
  3. Mistletoe in Cancer Cell Biology: Recent Advances.Current issues in molecular biology · 2025
    Review
  4. Review
  5. The Antioxidant Activity of Mistletoes (Plants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Review
  6. The Anti-Inflammatory Activity ofPlants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023
    Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 9 institutions in 4 countries.

Harald MatthesOncological Centre, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4053-4379
Anja ThronickeResearch Institute Havelhöhe, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.
Ralf-Dieter HofheinzInterdisciplinary Tumour Centre Mannheim, University Medicine of Mannheim, Mannheim, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5972-8504
Erik BaarsLouis Bolk Institute, Bunnik, Netherlands.
David MartinGerhard Kienle Chair for Medical Theory, Integrative and Anthroposophical Medicine, Department of Human Medicine, Faculty of Health, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten/Herdecke, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1515-1699
Roman HuberCenter for Complementary Medicine, Institute for Infection, Prevention and Hospital Epidemiology, University Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
Thomas BreitkreuzHospital Filderklinik, Stuttgart, Germany.
Gil Bar-SelaEmek Medical Center, Afula, Israel.
Daniel GalunClinical Center of Serbia, Belgrade and Medical School, University of Belgrade, Belgrade, Serbia.
Friedemann SchadOncological Centre, Hospital Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe, Berlin, Germany.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6928-6209
Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Havelhöhe · DEEmek Medical Center · ILHeidelberg University · DEHumboldt-Universität zu Berlin · DELouis Bolk Instituut · NLParacelsus-Kliniken · DEUniversity Medical Center Freiburg · DEUniversity of Belgrade · RSWitten/Herdecke University · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundUp to 88% of oncological patients apply complementary therapies and up to 77% apply complementary mistletoe therapy in the context of integrative oncological approaches. An evidence-based consultation of oncological health professionals regarding complementary therapies used in Germany is missing. Therefore, a new S3-Guideline for Complementary Medicine in the Treatment of Oncological Patients is under development and is anticipated to be finalized in November 2020. It will be based on evidence-based publications and systematic reviews on complementary therapies in oncology. A recently published two-part systematic review on mistletoe treatment in oncology has been reevaluated.

methodsThe latest published systematic two-part review on mistletoe has been systematically proofread and checked in compliance with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention and the AMSTAR 2 (A MeaSurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews) tool.

resultsThe here discussed two-part review is incomplete, lacks sound accuracy including insufficient assessment of the risk of bias, and contains imprecise statements. In addition, it does not sufficiently comply with the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Intervention and the AMSTAR 2 tool.

conclusionIn view of the approaching release of a new guideline in the field of complementary therapies in oncology, the present statement draws attention to a lack of profound methodology of conductance of a recently released systematic review on mistletoe. In consequence, a comprehensive overview of published mistletoe studies, i.e., a meta-analysis with a sound methodology of conductance, is necessary.

Identifiers

PMID32148549
PMCPMC7049420
OpenAlexW3008507827

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.