Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33718852›Full record

ArticleEClinicalMedicine2021

Opium as a carcinogen: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mohammad Zamiri Bidary, Mehrdad Sahranavard, Arash Akhavan Rezayat, Alireza Omranzadeh, Seyyed Hasan Hoseiny, Ali Kabirian, Amirhossein Sahebkar

Open access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in EClinicalMedicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
17citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 20% 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

17 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Associations between Opium Route of Use and Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons as Potential Carcinogenicity Mechanism.Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2025
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  7. Review
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  14. Opium use and gastrointestinal cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis study.Gastroenterology and hepatology from bed to bench · 2024
    Review
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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

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Mohammad Zamiri BidaryStudent Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mehrdad SahranavardHealth Policy Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
Arash Akhavan RezayatStudent Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Alireza OmranzadehStudent Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Seyyed Hasan HoseinyStudent Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Ali KabirianStudent Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Amirhossein SahebkarBiotechnology Research Center, Pharmaceutical Technology Institute, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
Mashhad University of Medical Sciences · IR

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundOpium and its pyrolysates have been investigated as potential carcinogenic material through several studies in different body systems; however, the results were controversial and no consensus was achieved with this regard. Thus, we aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze all existed evidence regarding association between opium consumption and cancer.

methodsFour major electronic databases including ISI Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Embase along with Magiran and SID were searched thoroughly for all published articles from inception up to September 25, 2020. All studies were appraised critically by Newcastle Ottawa Scale (NOS) checklist. Relevant demographic data and the intended results of the selected studies were extracted and their Odds ratios (OR) were pooled using Comprehensive Meta-analysis (CMA). The cumulative risk of opium for developing different cancers was calculated.

findings34 studies comprised of 18,230 individuals were entered in our systematic review and finally 32 publications were enrolled in meta-analysis. Overall, using the random effects model, opium consumption was associated with increased rate of malignancies in both minimally[OR = 4.14 95%CI = (3.32-5.15)] and fully adjusted [OR = 4.35 95%CI = (3.36-5.62)] analyses. Moreover, using random effects fully adjusted model, the subgroup analysis revealed increased risk for larynx [OR = 9.58 95%CI = (6.31-14.53)], respiratory [OR = 9.02 95%CI = (6.27-12.96)], head and neck [OR = 8•03 95%CI = (4.03-16.00)], and colon [OR=5.58 95%CI = (3.14-9.92)] cancers for opium consumers compared to non-consumers.

interpretationOpium consumption is highly associated with all reported types of cancers, especially in fully adjusted model; however, basic pathophysiology should be further investigated.

fundingNone.

Identifiers

PMID33718852
PMCPMC7921501
OpenAlexW3130248919

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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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.