Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40447428›Full record

SynthesisBMJ open2025

Cancer prevalence after exposure to Wnt-activating drugs: a systematic review.

Ahmed Alkashaf, Natalia Smith-Cortinez, Georgina E Fenton, Sebastian Thomas Bok, Robert J Stokroos, Inge Stegeman, Louise V Straatman

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in BMJ open, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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.

Ahmed AlkashafDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Natalia Smith-CortinezDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands n.f.smithcortinez@umcutrecht.nl.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2170-4157
Georgina E FentonDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Sebastian Thomas BokDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Robert J StokroosDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Inge StegemanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5154-7178
Louise V StraatmanDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesTo assess whether treatment with drugs that activate the Wnt pathway leads to an increased risk of cancer.

designSystematic review reported using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) reporting guidelines. DATA SOURCES: PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane Library were searched through 1 November 2024. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All primary research articles reporting clinical studies, including observational and experimental studies, were included in this review. All studies were eligible for inclusion if they included the exposure of interest, that is, compounds which have been described to activate the Wnt pathway, and the outcome of interest, that is, cancer prevalence. No language restrictions were performed. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS: This study was reported according to the PRISMA reporting guidelines. The search string, objectives, and study protocol methods were defined before the study was initiated.

resultsA total of 48 studies investigating drugs that activate the Wnt pathway (valproic acid, lithium, cimetidine, olanzapine, clozapine, haloperidol) were included in this systematic review. The results from this systematic review show that, at least for the included compounds in the currently used systemic dosage, cancer prevalence does not significantly increase.

conclusionsThe current study found that the use of drugs that activate the Wnt pathway was not associated with an increased risk of cancer. As a promising agent in the regenerative therapy field, further research into Wnt activation as a treatment option should be explored. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: CRD42021286193.

Indexed as

NeoplasmsWnt Signaling PathwayHumansPrevalenceEpidemiologyONCOLOGYPrevalence

Identifiers

PMID40447428
PMCPMC12142115

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
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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 Socratic graph.