Summary of findings for the main comparison. Moxibustion versus no treatment for side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy in cancer patients.
| Moxibustion versus no treatment for side effects of chemotherapy or radiotherapy in cancer patients | |||||
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Patient or population: patients receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy for cancer treatment Settings: hospital Intervention: moxibustion Comparison: no treatment | |||||
| Outcomes | Illustrative comparative risks* (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | No of participants (studies) | Certainty of the evidence (GRADE) | |
| Assumed risk | Corresponding risk | ||||
| No treatment | Moxibustion treatment | ||||
| The incidence and severity of toxicities: leukopenia (WHO grade 3 to 4) | 111 per 1000 | 56 per 1000 (11 to 284) | RR 0.50 (0.10 to 2.56) | 72 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ Lowa |
| QoL | No evidence | ||||
| Patient‐reported symptom: nausea/vomiting | No evidence | ||||
| Patient‐reported symptom: diarrhoea | No evidence | ||||
| Objective outcome measure: WBC count (× 109/L) | Mean WBC counts (× 109/L) in the control group was 3.60 | Mean WBC counts (×109/L) in the intervention group was 5.37 (4.36 to 6.38) | MD 1.77 (0.76 to 2.78) | 80 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ Lowa |
| Objective outcome measure: haemoglobin (g/L) | Mean haemoglobin (g/L) in the control group was 10.24 | Mean haemoglobin (g/L) in the intervention groups was 11.57 (11.44 to 11.7) | MD 1.33 (1.20 to 1.46) | 66 (1 study) | ⊕⊕⊝⊝ Lowa |
| Objective outcome measure: platelets (× 109/L) | No evidence | ||||
| *The basis for the assumed risk (e.g. the median control group risk across studies) is provided in footnotes. The corresponding risk (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). CI: confidence interval; MD: mean difference; RR: risk ratio; WBC: white blood cells; WHO: World Health Organization. | |||||
| GRADE Working Group grades of evidence High quality: further research is very unlikely to change our confidence in the estimate of effect. Moderate quality: further research is likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and may change the estimate. Low quality: further research is very likely to have an important impact on our confidence in the estimate of effect and is likely to change the estimate. Very low quality: we are very uncertain about the estimate. | |||||
aDowngraded one level due to design limitations (high risk of bias) and one level due to imprecision (1 RCT of 66 to 80 participants).