SynthesisFrontiers in pharmacology2025
Astragalus polysaccharides combined with radiochemotherapy for cervical cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled studies.
Synthesis in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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
1 citing paper in PubMed.
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
Backgrounds: Cervical cancer ranks among the most common malignant tumors affecting women globally. Currently, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are commonly used treatments for cervical cancer, yet they are often accompanied by severe toxic side effects. Therefore, enhancing the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy while mitigating their adverse reactions has become a critical challenge in contemporary cervical cancer treatment. Exploring or developing novel combination therapy regimens has also emerged as a significant research direction. Astragalus Polysaccharides, a natural extract derived from the traditional Chinese medicinal herb Astragalus membranaceus (Huang Qi), is currently widely used in China as an adjunctive therapy for various cancers. Objective: This systematic review aims to determine the clinical efficacy and safety of Astragalus Polysaccharide Injection (APS) combined with chemoradiotherapy for cervical cancer based on existing data. Methods: Systematic searches were conducted in PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Data, Chinese Scientific Journal Database (VIP), SinoMed, and China Clinical Trials Registry Platform. The search period spanned from the inception of each database to August 1, 2025. The ROB2 tool was used to evaluate the quality of included RCTs. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager software, and sensitivity analysis was conducted with Stata 18 software. Evidence quality was assessed using the GRADE system. Additionally, TSA was employed to calculate the final required sample size for this meta-analysis and to validate the reliability of conclusions. The protocol for this systematic review was registered and published in PROSPERO (CRD420251139830). Results: This study included 9 RCTs involving 776 patients. Meta-analysis results showed that compared with chemoradiotherapy alone, APS combined with chemoradiotherapy improved the objective response rate (ORR, RR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.24-1.64) and disease control rate (DCR, RR = 1.16, 95% CI: 1.08-1.24), and Karnofsky Performance Status (KPS) score (MD = 6.64, 95% CI: 4.12-9.16). It also modulates immune function: CD3 Conclusion: APS combined with chemoradiotherapy improves response rates, enhances immune function, and reduces treatment-related toxicity in cervical cancer; however, confirmation through larger, high-quality multicenter RCTs is warranted. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/recorddashboard, identifier CRD420251139830.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What Socratic holds
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 Socratic graph.