Evidence mapPaperPMID 41889003Full record

SynthesisCancer medicine2026

Association Between Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma and Chinese Medicine Constitution: A Meta-Analysis.

Shun-Qi Chen, Yan Zi, Wen-Le Li, Yu-Yang Cai, Geng-Shuo Miao, Huai-Yu Wang, Ming-Hua Bai, Ji Wang

Abstract readMeta-AnalysisReview
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Cancer medicine, 2026. 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

8 authors.

Shun-Qi ChenInstitute of Basic Theory for Chinese Medicine, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0006-0940-2585
Yan ZiNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Wen-Le LiNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8430-4164
Yu-Yang CaiNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5211-6043
Geng-Shuo MiaoNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Huai-Yu WangNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.
Ming-Hua BaiNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4989-6560
Ji WangNational Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Constitution and Preventive Medicine, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1844-8220

Funding

Fundamental and Interdisciplinary Disciplines Breakthrough Plan of the Ministry of Education of China JYB2025XDXM612High level Key Discipline of National Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine - Traditional Chinese constitutional medicine zyyzdxk-2023251National Key R&D Program of China 2024YFC3506300National Key R&D Program of China 2024YFC3506301
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo explore the distribution of Chinese medicine constitution (CMC) types across the spectrum of health states related to nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and provide evidence-based information for the prevention and treatment of NPC at different stages of the disease.

methodsPubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and three major Chinese databases were searched to retrieve literature reporting the correlation between populations across related health states of NPC and CMC, using the same standardized classification since 2009. Three authors independently screened and evaluated the quality of the methodology. The main outcomes were the single proportion and the odds ratio (OR) of each constitution type across related health states of NPC, and the effect sizes were expressed as proportions or as ORs with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Sensitivity and subgroup analyses were performed to determine the sources of heterogeneity.

resultsData of 1174 patients from 11 different studies were included in the present study. Qi-deficiency (QD), balanced, and Yang-deficiency constitutions accounted for 25.5% (95% CI: 19.0-32.0, p < 0.01), 16.1% (95% CI: 18.1-26.1), and 15.4% (95% CI: 9.5-21.4), respectively. The distribution across related health states of patients with NPC varied across different stages of the disease. QDC showed a significant association with both Epstein-Barr virus infection and NPC diagnosed status in the included populations compared with that in healthy controls.

conclusionQDC is a major factor associated with NPC across different health statuses. However, the cross-sectional nature of the available evidence highlights the need for more high-quality prospective cohort studies to clarify the temporal relationship and causal role of specific constitutions in NPC development.

Indexed as

Body ConstitutionMedicine, Chinese TraditionalNasopharyngeal NeoplasmsCarcinomaHumansNasopharyngeal CarcinomaOdds Ratiobody constitutionChinese medicine constitutionEpstein–Barr virusmeta analysisnasopharyngeal carcinomareview

Identifiers

PMID41889003
PMCPMC13140684

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.