ArticleHeliyon2023
Traditional Chinese medicine combined with radiofrequency ablation improves primary liver cancer outcomes: A systematic review with meta-analysis.
Article in Heliyon, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled 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.
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.
Who cites it
6 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Immune effect of Traditional Chinese Medicine combined with transcatheter arterial chemoembolization in treatment of liver cancer: a meta-analysis.BMC cancer · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Combining Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) and Systemic Therapy in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.Cancers · 2026Article
- How Traditional Chinese Medicine Works: Biological Mechanisms and Clinical Evidence for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Treatment.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Review
- Progress in clinical applications and mechanistic studies of the antitumor effects of Huaier granules.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2026Review
- Advancements in nanoultrasonics technology for the diagnosis and treatment of liver cancer: discussion on medical ethics and hospital management issues.Nanomedicine (London, England) · 2025Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background & aims: Traditional Chinese medicine and radiofrequency ablation are becoming increasingly important in the treatment of primary liver cancer. However, the clinical outcome of traditional Chinese medicine plus radiofrequency ablation is contentious. This study aimed to conduct a meta-analysis of randomized controlled clinical trials to address this gap. Methods: Short-term efficacy, alpha-fetoprotein level, immune function, liver function, and quality of life outcomes in patients with primary liver cancer treated with Chinese herbal medicine adjuvant radiofrequency ablation were systematically reviewed. Results: Eighteen randomized controlled clinical trials with 1488 patients with primary liver cancer were included. The combination treatment significantly increased the objective remission rate and quality of patient survival compared to the control group. Combination treatment significantly improved immunity and liver function factors, including CD3, CD4, CD4/CD8, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, total bilirubin, and albumin levels. However, there were no statistical differences in CD8 levels across treatments. Trial sequential analysis showed that the cumulative Z-curve of the Objective response rate crossed the conventional and test sequence monitoring boundaries; however, it did not cross the required information size line. Conclusions: Traditional Chinese medicine combined with radiofrequency ablation for primary liver cancer can effectively reduce alpha-fetoprotein and improve clinical efficacy, immune function, liver function, as well as the quality of life.
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Registered trials
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.