SynthesisBMC cancer2025
Impacts of omega-3 fatty acids intervention on immune functions and clinical outcomes in surgical gastric cancer patients: a systematic review and trial sequential meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMC cancer, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 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
3 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of enteral immunonutrition enriched with multiple immunonutrients on clinical outcomes of patients who underwent gastric cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Pooled it
- The effect of immunonutrition on postoperative ileus following colorectal cancer surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Impact of oral nutritional supplements on chemotherapy tolerance and overall survival in postoperative colorectal cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy.Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition · 2026Trial
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundGastric cancer patients are vulnerable to postoperative complications. Omega-3 fatty acids may improve immune function and reduce postoperative complications. However, the impacts of omega-3 fatty acids intervention on immune function and clinical outcomes in gastric cancer patients are not clear.
methodsSeven databases were retrieved: Cochrane Library, Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, and Yiigle. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were included. The Revised Cochrane risk-of-bias tool (ROB 2) was used to assess the risk of bias of included RCTs. RevMan software was used for data synthesis. Subgroup analysis and sensitivity analysis were conducted to evaluate the stability of the results. Trial sequential analysis (TSA) was performed to explore the false-positive results and estimate the required information size (RIS).
resultsThirty-two RCTs involving 2,404 gastric cancer patients were included. Compared with the control group, omega-3 fatty acids supplementation significantly decreased the incidence of infectious complication (RR = 0.42; 95% CI, [0.32, 0.54]; P<0.00001; I2 = 0%), shortened the length of hospital stay (MD=-1.27 days; 95% CI [-2.10, -0.45]; P = 0.002; I2 = 67%), and elevated the level of CD4+ T cell (MD = 4.96%; 95% CI, [3.49, 6.44]; P<0.00001; I2 = 84%). No significant difference was observed in in-hospital mortality between the two groups (RR = 0.54; 95% CI, [0.12, 2.42]; P = 0.42; I2 = 0%). Trial sequential analysis demonstrated that the conclusion on the primary outcome improvement is robust because it reached the required sample size and excluded the presence of false positive results. The GRADE assessment indicated moderate certainty of outcomes for infectious complications, CD4+ T cells, CD8+ T cells, and CD4/CD8 ratio, and low certainty for in-hospital mortality and length of hospital stay.
conclusionsOmega-3 fatty acids intervention is associated with reduction of the occurrence of infectious complications in gastric cancer patients and may improve immune function.
trial registrationThe protocol for our meta-analysis and systematic review was registered and recorded in PROSPERO (registration no. CRD42024562523).
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