SynthesisClinical and experimental medicine2021
Zinc as a complementary treatment for cancer patients: a systematic review.
Synthesis in Clinical and experimental medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 34 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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Who cites it
34 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Time-dependent efficacy of zinc supplements in preventing oral mucositis after chemoradiotherapy: a meta-analysis.Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- The association between zinc and prostate cancer development: A systematic review and meta-analysis.PloS one · 2024Pooled it
- Polypharmacy and Malnutrition Management of Elderly Perioperative Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review.Nutrients · 2021Pooled it
- The Efficacy and Safety of Nutritional Supplements for Cancer Supportive Care: An Umbrella Review and Hierarchical Evidence Synthesis.Integrative cancer therapiesPooled it
- Mesoporous silica nanoparticles functionalized with folic acid and zinc for enhanced targeted delivery of daunorubicin to breast cancer cells.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Exploratory analysis of associations among weight loss, oral function, and dysgeusia in patients with lung cancer undergoing chemotherapy.BMC oral health · 2025Article
- Article
- Taste Dysfunction in Head and Neck Cancer: Pathophysiology and Clinical Management-A Comprehensive Review.Biomedicines · 2025Review
- Hybrid thiazolyl-benzylidene-phenol metal complexes as novel chemotherapeutic agents with anti-topoisomerase I activity in human breast carcinoma: synthesis,RSC advances · 2025Article
- Examination of the relationship between serum zinc levels and peripheral neuropathy induced by paclitaxel/carboplatin combination therapy in gynecological cancer patients.Fujita medical journal · 2025Article
- Disproportionality analysis of taste disorders using the FDA adverse event reporting system and Japanese adverse drug event report databases.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2025Article
- Trace elements and metal nanoparticles: mechanistic approaches to mitigating chemotherapy-induced toxicity-a review of literature evidence.Biometals : an international journal on the role of metal ions in biology, biochemistry, and medicine · 2024Review
- Review
- Activated Charcoal-Alginate Platform for Simultaneous Local Delivery of Bioactive Agents: At the Nexus of Antimicrobial and Cytotoxic Activity of ZnGels (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Zinc Influences the Efficacy of Betulinic Acid Treatment and Radiotherapy in Breast Cancer Cells.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024Article
- Alternative Cancer Therapeutics: Unpatentable Compounds and Their Potential in Oncology.Pharmaceutics · 2024Review
- The interplay between metal ions and immune cells in glioma: pathways to immune escape.Discover oncology · 2024Review
- Deciphering the role of zinc homeostasis in the tumor microenvironment and prognosis of prostate cancer.Discover oncology · 2024Article
- Zinc Deficiency as a General Feature of Cancer: a Review of the Literature.Biological trace element research · 2024Review
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Zinc is a trace element that plays an important role in the immune system and cell growth. The role of zinc in cancer treatment has been discussed for some time, however without reaching an evidenced-based consensus. Therefore, we aim to critically examine and review existing evidence on the role of zinc during cancer treatment. In January 2019, a systematic search was conducted searching five electronic databases (Embase, Cochrane, PsychINFO, CINAHL and PubMed) to find studies concerning the use, effectiveness and potential harm of zinc therapy on cancer patients. Out of initial 5244 search results, 19 publications concerning 23 studies with 1230 patients were included in this systematic review. The patients treated with zinc were mainly diagnosed with head and neck cancer and underwent chemo-, radio- or concurrent radio-chemotherapy. Interventions included the intake of different amounts of zinc supplements and oral zinc rinses. Outcomes (primary endpoints) investigated were mucositis, xerostomia, dysgeusia, pain, weight, dermatitis and oral intake of nutrients. Secondary endpoints were survival data, quality of life assessments and aspects of fatigue, immune responses and toxicities of zinc. The studies were of moderate quality reporting heterogeneous results. Studies have shown a positive impact on the mucositis after radiotherapy. No protection was seen against mucositis after chemotherapy. There was a trend to reduced loss of taste, less dry mouth and oral pain after zinc substitution. No impact was seen on weight, QoL measurements, fatigue, and survival. The risk of side effects from zinc appears to be relatively small. Zinc could be useful in the prevention of oral toxicities during irradiation. It does not help in chemotherapy-induced side effects.
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