Non-Cochrane · umbrella · PM41482855
The Efficacy and Safety of Nutritional Supplements for Cancer Supportive Care: An Umbrella Review and Hierarchical Evidence Synthesis.
Benna-Doyle Sarah, Grant Suzanne, Maunder Alison, et al. · Integrative cancer therapies · 2026 · PubMed · doi:10.1177/15347354251405267
Findings
48 findings
| Population | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Oral omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) | No intervention, placebo or isocaloric oral nutritional supplement | Body weight (increase or maintain) | MD = NS (10 RCTs, n = 317) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency 10 studies · 317 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy | Oral omega-3 fatty acids (EPA/DHA) | Placebo | Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy incidence | OR 0.20 [0.10, 0.40] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 3 studies · 158 participants |
| Adults with cancer with colorectal cancer | Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) | Not reported | Body weight, goal to prevent weight loss | Body weight MD = NS (5 RCTs, N = 222) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency 5 studies · 222 participants |
| Adults with breast cancer | Probiotics (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Enterococcus or Streptococcus; with or without FOS) plus diet | Calorie-restricted diet plus placebo, Mediterranean diet only, or placebo | Weight loss Duration of intervention | Subgroup analysis by duration of intervention: NS GRADE not reported Studies not reported |
| Adults with cancer with colorectal cancer | Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) | Not reported | Quality of life | QoL (NR): MD = NS (3 RCTs, n = 332) GRADE not reported 3 studies · 332 participants |
| Adults with cancer with colorectal cancer | Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA) | Not reported | Body mass index | BMI MD = NS (4 RCTs, N = 209) GRADE not reported 4 studies · 209 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer | Probiotics (Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium, with or without prebiotics) plus calorie-restricted or Mediterranean diet | Calorie-restricted diet plus placebo, Mediterranean diet only, or placebo | Weight loss Probiotic type: ProLBS (Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, Streptococcus) | Subgroup analysis by probiotic type: ProLBS, MD NS (2 RCTs, n = 164) GRADE not reported 2 studies · 164 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer | Probiotics (Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium, with or without prebiotics) plus calorie-restricted or Mediterranean diet | Calorie-restricted diet plus placebo, Mediterranean diet only, or placebo | Body mass index Overall and subgroup by probiotic type | BMI overall and subgroup analysis of probiotic type: MD NS (5 RCTs, n = 374) GRADE not reported 5 studies · 374 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer | Probiotics (Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium, with or without prebiotics) plus calorie-restricted or Mediterranean diet | Calorie-restricted diet plus placebo, Mediterranean diet only, or placebo | Lymphoedema (oedema volume) | Oedema volume: NS (2 RCTs, n = 223) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 2 studies · 223 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer | Probiotics (Lactobacillus with Bifidobacterium, with or without prebiotics) plus calorie-restricted or Mediterranean diet | Calorie-restricted diet plus placebo, Mediterranean diet only, or placebo | Weight loss | Weight loss MD NS (4 RCTs, n = 298) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 4 studies · 298 participants |
| Adults with cancer with gastric cancer (perioperative) | Probiotics (various strains) | Placebo or standard care | Postoperative ileus: time to flatus | MD -11.27 [-16.83, -5.70] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency, indirectness 7 studies · 693 participants |
| Adults with cancer with gastric cancer (perioperative) | Probiotics (various strains) | Placebo or standard care | Postoperative ileus: time to defecation | MD -11.27 [-16.83, -5.70] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 413 participants |
| Adults with cancer with gastric cancer (perioperative) | Probiotics (various strains) | Placebo or standard care | Weight loss | Weight loss MD NS (2 RCTs, n = 136) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 2 studies · 136 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving radiotherapy | Glutamine (8 to 30 g/d) | Placebo, no treatment or usual care | Oral mucositis incidence, grades 3 to 4 | RR 0.49 [0.32, 0.73] Low 16 studies · 1199 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Vitamin E (800 mg/d) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (any grade) | OM (WHO, RTOG) incidence (any grade): RR = NS (2 RCTs, n = 72) Low 2 studies · 72 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (WHO criteria) | RR 0.49 [0.19, 1.26] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency 5 studies · 392 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (RTOG criteria) | RR 0.77 [0.36, 1.64] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 245 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (all scales) Head and neck cancer | Subgroup analysis of OM incidence by cancer type: Head and neck cancer: NS (6 RCTs, n = 339) GRADE not reported 6 studies · 339 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (all scales) Leukaemia | RR 0.37 [0.20, 0.70] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 212 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (all scales) | RR 0.67 [0.47, 0.95] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency 12 studies · 783 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (other scales) | RR 0.77 [0.61, 0.97] GRADE not reported 3 studies · 146 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy or radiotherapy | Zinc (oral capsules, mouthwash or rinse) | Placebo | Oral mucositis incidence (all scales) Pharyngeal cancer | RR 0.31 [0.21, 0.45] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 170 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy | Probiotics (various strains and formulations) | Placebo or usual care | Oral mucositis incidence (CTCAE/RTOG) | RR 0.84 [0.78, 0.91] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 412 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy | Probiotics (various strains and formulations) | Placebo or usual care | Severe oral mucositis (grades 3 and 4) | Severe OM (Grades 3 & 4): RR NS (7 RCTs, n = 647) GRADE not reported 7 studies · 647 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Melatonin (3 to 20 mg/d or 3% oral gel) | Placebo, no treatment, bright white light therapy or zolpidem | Quality of life | QoL (EORTC, FACT) SMD NS (6 RCTs, n = 967) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency 6 studies · 967 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Melatonin (3 to 20 mg/d or 3% oral gel) | Placebo, no treatment, bright white light therapy or zolpidem | Stomatitis incidence (WHO grade) All cancers except head and neck cancer | RR 0.47 [0.26, 0.88] GRADE not reported 4 studies · 674 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Melatonin (3 to 20 mg/d or 3% oral gel) | Placebo, no treatment, bright white light therapy or zolpidem | Severe stomatitis (WHO grade) | Reducing severe stomatitis (WHO-G) RR NS (3 RCTs, n = 154) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency 3 studies · 154 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Melatonin (3 to 20 mg/d or 3% oral gel) | Placebo, no treatment, bright white light therapy or zolpidem | Fatigue | Fatigue (EORTC, FACT-F, MFI-20, VAS): SMD NS (5 RCTs, n = 855) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 5 studies · 855 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Melatonin (3 to 20 mg/d or 3% oral gel) | Placebo, no treatment, bright white light therapy or zolpidem | Stomatitis incidence (WHO grade) All cancers Unresolved: the two extractors disagree on this row. | Stomatitis incidence (WHO-G, NR): RR NS (7 RCTs, n = 832) All cancers Very low 7 studies · 832 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Melatonin (3 to 20 mg/d or 3% oral gel) | Placebo, no treatment, bright white light therapy or zolpidem | Sleep quality | Sleep quality (AIS, EORTC, ISI, KSS, MOS, PSQI): SMD NS (9 RCTs, n = 112) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency 9 studies · 1128 participants |
| Adults with cancer with colorectal cancer undergoing resection | Probiotics or synbiotics (various strains) | Placebo | Postoperative ileus: time to first stool | MD -0.66 [-0.93, -0.39] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, indirectness 4 studies · 398 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer receiving taxane chemotherapy | Acetyl-L-carnitine (3 g/d) | No treatment | Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (FACT-NTX) | PIPN (FACT-NTX): RR NS (3 RCTs, n = 858) GRADE not reported 3 studies · 858 participants |
| Adults with cancer with colorectal cancer receiving oxaliplatin | L-carnosine (500 to 1000 mg/d) | Non-active intervention | Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy severity, grade 2 or higher (CTCAE) | RR 0.05 [0.01, 0.22] Low Downgraded: risk of bias 2 studies · 121 participants |
| Adults with cancer with gastrointestinal cancer receiving oxaliplatin | N-acetylcysteine (1200 mg/d) | Placebo | Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy severity, grade 2 or higher (CTCAE) | RR 0.26 [0.12, 0.56] Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias 2 studies · 46 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy | Vitamin E (300 to 600 mg/d) | Not reported | Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy incidence (all grades) | RR 0.55 [0.36, 0.85] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, inconsistency 8 studies · 307 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy | Vitamin E (300 to 600 mg/d) | Not reported | Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy severity | Severity CIPN: NS (3 RCTs, n = 262) GRADE not reported 3 studies · 262 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast, and head and neck cancers receiving radiotherapy | Glutamine or HMB/arginine/glutamine (14 to 30 g/d glutamine) | Placebo or no treatment | Radiodermatitis severity, grade 2 to 4 | RR 0.49 [0.32, 0.76] Moderate Downgraded: risk of bias 5 studies · 218 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast, and head and neck cancers receiving radiotherapy | Glutamine or HMB/arginine/glutamine (14 to 30 g/d glutamine) | Placebo or no treatment | Radiodermatitis incidence | RR 0.90 [0.81, 1.00] Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision, inconsistency 5 studies · 218 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer receiving radiotherapy | Vitamin E (1000 mg or 1200 IU) | Placebo or no intervention | Radiation-induced fibrosis (LENT-SOMA) | Fibrosis (LENT-SOMA scoring scale): SMD: NS (2 RCTs, n = 64) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 2 studies · 64 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) receiving chemotherapy | Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine 60 to 200 mg/d) | Placebo, no treatment or Eppikajutsuto (Kampo medicine) | Hand-foot syndrome incidence | Incidence of HFS: OR NS (8 RCTs, n = 661) Very low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 8 studies · 661 participants |
| Adults with cancer with cervical, and head and neck cancers receiving radiotherapy | Oral proteolytic enzymes (papain, trypsin, chymotrypsin) | No treatment | Radiodermatitis: incidence of moist desquamation | RR 0.60 [0.31, 0.85] Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 2 studies · 219 participants |
| Adults with cancer with cervical, and head and neck cancers receiving radiotherapy | Oral proteolytic enzymes (papain, trypsin, chymotrypsin) | No treatment | Radiodermatitis: incidence of grade 2 or higher | RR 0.42 [0.30, 0.58] Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 2 studies · 219 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer receiving radiotherapy | Topical hyaluronic acid with or without beta-glucan | Grapevine extract, or shea butter plus grapevine extract plus glycyrrhetinic acid plus telmesteine | Radiodermatitis (RTOG/NCI) | Dermatitis (RTOG/NCI) RR NS (3 RCTs, n = 120) GRADE not reported 3 studies · 120 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer receiving radiotherapy | Topical hyaluronic acid | Petrolatum-based substance or placebo cream | Radiodermatitis (NCI) | Dermatitis (NCI) RR NS (2 RCTs, n = 218) GRADE not reported 2 studies · 218 participants |
| Adults with cancer with breast cancer receiving radiotherapy | Topical hyaluronic acid with beta-glucan | Phytosterols | Radiodermatitis (RTOG/NCI) | RR 3.11 [1.82, 5.29] GRADE not reported 2 studies · 80 participants |
| Adults with cancer (various cancer types) | Mixed nutritional supplements (L-carnitine, chlorella, coenzyme Q10 with vitamin E, creatine, kefir, EPA/DHA) | Not reported | Quality of life | QoL (FACT, FACIT, MDASI, SF-36, EORTC): pooled data from all nutritional supplement interventions, MD NS (6 RCTs, n = 280) GRADE not reported 6 studies · 280 participants |
| Adults with cancer with colorectal cancer (perioperative) | Probiotics or synbiotics (various strains) | Placebo or standard care | Adverse events related to probiotics | RR 0.73 [0.45, 1.19] Low Downgraded: risk of bias, imprecision 7 studies · 692 participants |
| Adults with cancer (any cancer type) | Nutritional supplements (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, pre/probiotics, fatty acids, amino acids) | Any control | Fear of cancer recurrence | No reviews evaluating the efficacy of nutritional supplementation for fear of cancer recurrence were identified. No studies found 0 studies · 0 participants |
Included primary studies 53
Open in Studies| Study | Year | Also included by | Outcomes it informs here | Trial data |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zeng 2019 matched by author and year (probable) | NR | 1 other review | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Allenby 2020 A systematic review of home-based dietary interventions during radiation therapy for cancer. PMID:32995577 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Amitay 2020 Probiotic/Synbiotic Treatment and Postoperative Complications in Colorectal Cancer Patients: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of… PMID:33512803 | 2020 | this review only | Postoperative ileus: time to first stool | not extracted yet |
| An 2022 Perioperative Probiotics Application for Preventing Postoperative Complications in Patients with Colorectal Cancer: A Systematic Review… PMID:36422183 | 2022 | this review only | Adverse events related to probiotics | not extracted yet |
| Bagherniya 2021 Curcumin for the Treatment of Prostate Diseases: A Systematic Review of Controlled Clinical Trials. PMID:34331700 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Barnhart 2024 Safety and efficacy of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and selenium supplementation in the oncology setting: A systematic review. PMID:37321210 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Behroozian 2023 MASCC clinical practice guidelines for the prevention and management of acute radiation dermatitis: part 1) systematic review. PMID:37181415 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Belloni 2024 Microbiome-Modifiers for Cancer-Related Fatigue Management: A Systematic Review. PMID:38503656 | 2024 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Chang 2024 Effectiveness of glutamine for the treatment of radiodermatitis in cancer patients: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PMID:38427125 | 2024 | this review only | Radiodermatitis incidence; Radiodermatitis severity, grade 2 to 4 | not extracted yet |
| Chen 2021 Vitamin E for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A meta-Analysis. PMID:34054560 | 2021 | this review only | Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy incidence (all grades); Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy severity | not extracted yet |
| Cintoni 2023 Nutritional Interventions during Chemotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer: A Systematic Review of Prospective Studies. PMID:36771433 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Cogo 2021 Probiotics Evaluation in Oncological Surgery: A Systematic Review of 36 Randomized Controlled Trials Assessing 21 Diverse Formulations. PMID:34940074 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Crichton 2022 Non-Pharmacological Self-Management Strategies for Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in People with Advanced Cancer: A Systematic… PMID:35745132 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Croisier 2021 The Efficacy of Dietary Fiber in Managing Gastrointestinal Toxicity Symptoms in Patients with Gynecologic Cancers undergoing Pelvic… PMID:33127328 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| da Anunciacao 2021 Curcumin supplementation in the treatment of patients with cancer: a systematic review DOI:10.1590/s2175-979020200004181008 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Deleemans 2021 The Use of Prebiotic and Probiotic Interventions for Treating Gastrointestinal and Psychosocial Health Symptoms in Cancer Patients and… PMID:34844479 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Delmicon 2023 Omega-3 fatty acids as adjuvant therapy in the adverse effects of antineoplastic treatment for breast cancer: a systematic review DOI:10.1186/s41110-023-00231-w | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Dikeocha 2021 Probiotics supplementation in patients with colorectal cancer: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. PMID:34027974 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| E Vasconcelos 2023 Effects of oral supplementation to manage radiation dermatitis in cancer patients: a systematic review. PMID:36976404 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Fan 2022 Effect of melatonin on quality of life and symptoms in patients with cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised… PMID:36104141 | 2022 | this review only | Stomatitis incidence (WHO grade); Severe stomatitis (WHO grade); Sleep quality; Quality of life; Fatigue | not extracted yet |
| Feng 2022 Oral Administration of Probiotics Reduces Chemotherapy-Induced Diarrhea and Oral Mucositis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PMID:35299763 | 2022 | this review only | Oral mucositis incidence (CTCAE/RTOG); Severe oral mucositis (grades 3 and 4) | not extracted yet |
| Gremmler 2021 Proteolytic Enzyme Therapy in Complementary Oncology: A Systematic Review. PMID:34230116 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Hoppe 2021 Zinc as a complementary treatment for cancer patients: a systematic review. PMID:33496846 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Khosroshahi 2023 Nutritional interventions for the prevention and treatment of cancer therapy-induced oral mucositis: an umbrella review of systematic… PMID:36763701 | 2023 | this review only | Oral mucositis incidence, grades 3 to 4; Oral mucositis incidence (any grade) | not extracted yet |
| Lam 2021 The effect of oral omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid supplementation on muscle maintenance and quality of life in patients with cancer: A… PMID:34130028 | 2021 | this review only | Body weight (increase or maintain); Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy incidence | not extracted yet |
| Lee 2022 Effect of hyaluronic acid on radiodermatitis in patients with breast cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PMID:35059865 | 2022 | this review only | Radiodermatitis (RTOG/NCI); Radiodermatitis (NCI) | not extracted yet |
| Leen 2022 A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Effectiveness of Neuroprotectants for Paclitaxel-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy. PMID:35070969 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Lin 2019 Efficacy of complementary and integrative medicine on health-related quality of life in cancer patients: a systematic review and… PMID:31413628 | 2019 | this review only | Quality of life | not extracted yet |
| Liu 2020 Nonhormonal Hot Flash Management for Breast Cancer Survivors: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. PMID:32419803 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Liu 2023 Efficacy and safety of Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in adjuvant treatments for colorectal cancer: A meta-analysis of randomized… PMID:37144220 | 2023 | this review only | Weight loss; Body mass index; Quality of life | not extracted yet |
| Liu 2023 Effectiveness of zinc supplementation on the incidence of oral mucositis during chemotherapy and radiation: A meta‑analysis. PMID:37383380 | 2023 | this review only | Oral mucositis incidence (all scales); Oral mucositis incidence (WHO criteria); Oral mucositis incidence (RTOG criteria); Oral mucositis incidence (other scales) | not extracted yet |
| Loprinzi 2020 Prevention and Management of Chemotherapy-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy in Survivors of Adult Cancers: ASCO Guideline Update. PMID:32663120 | 2020 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Mahdavi 2023 Role of Probiotics and Synbiotics in Preventing Chemoradiotherapy-Associated Toxicity in Colorectal Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review. PMID:36895464 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Momenzadeh 2023 Acetyl-L-carnitine for the prevention of taxane-induced neuropathy in patients with breast cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PMID:36873277 | 2023 | this review only | Paclitaxel-induced peripheral neuropathy (FACT-NTX) | not extracted yet |
| Moustafa 2022 Vitamin E and levocarnitine as prophylaxis against doxorubicin-induced cardio toxicity in the adult cancer patient: A review. PMID:35139690 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Nogueira 2022 Interventions for Radiation-Induced Fibrosis in Patients With Breast Cancer: Systematic Review and Meta-analyses. PMID:35647406 | 2022 | this review only | Radiation-induced fibrosis (LENT-SOMA) | not extracted yet |
| Pandy 2022 Prophylactic strategies for hand-foot syndrome/skin reaction associated with systemic cancer treatment: a meta-analysis of randomized… PMID:35655045 | 2022 | this review only | Hand-foot syndrome incidence | not extracted yet |
| Peng 2022 Prevention of Oxaliplatin-Induced Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PMID:35186722 | 2022 | this review only | Oxaliplatin-induced peripheral neuropathy severity, grade 2 or higher (CTCAE) | not extracted yet |
| Prado 2022 Effects of β-hydroxy β-methylbutyrate (HMB) supplementation on muscle mass, function, and other outcomes in patients with cancer: a… PMID:35301826 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Raza 2022 Efficacy of oral and topical antioxidants in the prevention and management of oral mucositis in head and neck cancer patients: a… PMID:35680672 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Retzlaff 2022 The Vitamin E Isoform α-Tocopherol is Not Effective as a Complementary Treatment in Cancer Treatment: A Systematic Review. PMID:34918607 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Retzlaff 2023 The benefits of vitamin A as a complementary treatment for oncology patients: a systematic review. PMID:35972692 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Robijns 2023 Natural and miscellaneous agents for the prevention of acute radiation dermatitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PMID:36859690 | 2023 | this review only | Radiodermatitis: incidence of moist desquamation; Radiodermatitis: incidence of grade 2 or higher | not extracted yet |
| Seo 2023 Effects of Melatonin Supplementation on Sleep Quality in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PMID:36900679 | 2023 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Thu 2023 Effect of Probiotics in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. PMID:36829557 | 2023 | this review only | Weight loss; Body mass index; Lymphoedema (oedema volume) | not extracted yet |
| Tsai 2022 Effectiveness of Coenzyme Q10 Supplementation for Reducing Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. PMID:36091835 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Umlauff 2022 Dietary interventions to improve body composition in men treated with androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer: a solution for the… PMID:34193946 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| van Gorkom 2019 The Effect of Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid) in the Treatment of Patients with Cancer: A Systematic Review. PMID:31035414 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wang 2023 Did you choose appropriate mouthwash for managing chemoradiotherapy-induced oral mucositis? The therapeutic effect compared by a Bayesian… PMID:36798750 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wierzbicka 2021 Interventions Preventing Vaginitis, Vaginal Atrophy after Brachytherapy or Radiotherapy Due to Malignant Tumors of the Female Reproductive… PMID:33918070 | 2021 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Wu 2022 Effectiveness of Fucoidan on Supplemental Therapy in Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review. PMID:35628061 | 2022 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
| Ye 2023 The effect of probiotics on surgical outcomes in patients with gastric cancer: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. PMID:37901305 | 2023 | this review only | Weight loss; Postoperative ileus: time to flatus; Postoperative ileus: time to defecation | not extracted yet |
| Zeng 2019 Abstracts DOI:10.1002/pds.4864 | 2019 | this review only | not stated | not extracted yet |
Overlap with other reviews
Reviews that include the same primary studies are not independent evidence. Shared counts match studies by PMID, DOI or NCT, and otherwise by author and year (a probable match). Only the non-Cochrane dental reviews have study lists, so overlap with Cochrane reviews is not counted yet.
| Review | Shared studies | Jaccard |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking and oral and pharyngeal cancer: a meta-analysis. (2025) | 1 | 0.01 |
Review question
| Element | Planned (methods) | Found (results) |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Adults (18 years or older) with a cancer diagnosis using nutritional supplements for supportive care; adults with cancer-related cachexia excluded | Adults with various cancers (33 reviews), breast cancer only (7), gastrointestinal cancers only (7), reproductive cancers only (4), head and neck cancer only (1) |
| Intervention | Adjunctive or stand-alone oral or topical nutritional supplements (vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, pre/probiotics, fatty acids, amino acids) for symptom or side effect management; herbal medicines and whole foods excluded | 18 supplements across 52 reviews: amino acids and derivatives (13 reviews), vitamin E (12), pre/probiotics (11), fatty acids (7), antioxidants (5), vitamin A (4), zinc (3), vitamins D, C, B, selenium, magnesium, proteolytic enzymes, hyaluronic acid, melatonin, curcumin and phytochemicals |
| Comparison | Any control with a direct comparison of the intervention to a control | Placebo, no treatment, usual care, active controls |
| Outcomes | Appetite, body weight, cardiotoxicity, CINV/RINV, cognitive changes, dermatitis, fatigue, fear of cancer recurrence, genitourinary complications, hot flushes, insomnia/sleep, lymphoedema, mucositis, neuropathy, postoperative ileus, quality of life, endocrine therapy side effects, xerostomia, safety and adverse events | 16 indications: QoL (17 reviews), oral mucositis (11), body weight (10), CIPN (8), dermatitis (7), fatigue (6), xerostomia (5), CINV (4), postoperative ileus (3), hot flushes, lymphoedema, sleep, cardiotoxicity, cognition, genitourinary complications, appetite; safety (18 reviews); no reviews for fear of cancer recurrence |
| Study designs | Umbrella reviews, meta-analyses and systematic reviews of RCTs, English, published since January 2019, with a quality assessment of included studies; hierarchical evidence selection with overlap control | 1 umbrella review, 2 network meta-analyses, 25 meta-analyses and 24 systematic reviews (including 2 clinical practice guidelines) covering 250 RCTs |
| Timing | Not specified | Not specified |
AMSTAR 2 items
Two independent extractors rated each item. Their ratings are shown side by side because they have not been reconciled yet. The overall rating follows Shea et al. 2017: one critical flaw gives Low, more than one gives Critically Low.
| Item | Extractor A | Extractor B | Agree |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Research question includes PICO components | NR | Yes | no |
| 2Protocol established before the reviewcritical | NR | Partial Yes | no |
| 3Choice of study designs explained | NR | No | no |
| 4Comprehensive literature searchcritical | NR | Partial Yes | no |
| 5Study selection in duplicate | NR | Yes | no |
| 6Data extraction in duplicate | NR | Yes | no |
| 7List of excluded studies with reasonscritical | NR | Yes | no |
| 8Included studies described in detail | NR | Yes | no |
| 9Risk of bias assessed satisfactorilycritical | NR | NRSI: N/A · RCT: Partial Yes | no |
| 10Funding of included studies reported | NR | No | no |
| 11Appropriate meta-analysis methodscritical | NR | RCT: N/A · NRSI: N/A | no |
| 12Impact of risk of bias on the pooled results | NR | N/A | no |
| 13Risk of bias accounted for in interpretationcritical | NR | Yes | no |
| 14Heterogeneity explained | NR | Yes | no |
| 15Publication bias investigatedcritical | NR | N/A | no |
| 16Conflicts of interest reported | NR | Yes | no |
| Overall | NR | Moderate | no |