Several abstract studies have demonstrated that metformin may be beneficial for preventing and treating endometrial cancer (EC), while the results have been inconsistent and inconclusive. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to investigate the association between metformin use and the incidence and mortality of endometrial cancer in diabetic patients. A systematic literature search was performed in Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP from inception to November 2022. The outcome measures were hazard ratios (HRs) comparing the EC incidence and mortality in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) on metformin and non-metformin. A random or fixed-effects model was applied for data analysis, and subgroup analysis was performed to look for factors of heterogeneity. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) assessed the evidence's certainty. Eleven studies reported data on EC incidence. The pooled results suggested that the use of metformin was associated with a significantly higher incidence of EC (HR = 1.17, 95% CI 1.09-1.26, P < 0.0001). Further, seventeen studies were included for survival analysis. The pooled data showed that metformin could significantly decrease all-cause mortality (HR = 0.62, 95% CI 0.52-0.74, P < 0.00001) and endometrial cancer-specific mortality (HR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.90, 1.00, P = 0.03). Finally, we noted that metformin was associated with significantly improving the progression-free survival (PFS) of EC patients with T2DM (HR = 0.55, 95% CI 0.44, 0.68, P < 0.00001). This meta-analysis did not prove that metformin was beneficial for preventing EC. However, metformin could reduce their mortality risk and prolong the progression-free survival time of EC patients with T2DM.

Introduction: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) injections, as a relatively safe and low-cost treatment, have been widely used in the prevention and treatment of anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity in China. However, the quality of the relevant systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in recent years is uneven, so that the effectiveness and safety of TCM injections in preventing and treating anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity remain to be discussed. A systematic overview is therefore needed to provide a more advanced evidentiary reference for clinical practice. Methods: Eight Chinese and English databases were searched by computer to screen the meta-analyses/systematic reviews on the efficacy of traditional Chinese medicine injections for the prevention and treatment of anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity from the database establishment to October 2022. The methodological quality and evidence quality of outcome indicators included in the study were evaluated by AMSTAR 2 tool, PRISMA statement and GRADE classification. Results: A total of 7 articles were included in the study. The quality evaluation of AMSTAR 2 showed that 7 studies were extremely low-level; PRISMA stated that the evaluation results showed that the reports of 7 studies were of intermediate quality; The GRADE rating indicated that most of the evidence was of low quality. Conclusion: The methodological quality and evidence quality of meta-analysis/system evaluation concerning the prevention and treatment of anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity by Chinese medicine are currently low, and the effectiveness of Chinese medicine in the treatment of anthracyclines-induced cardiotoxicity needs more high-quality evidence-based evidence.

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 ⁺ T lymphocyte ratio (MD = 14.51, 95% CI: 1.64–27.39), CD4 ⁺ T lymphocyte ratio (MD = 4.87, 95% CI: 1.79–7.96), and CD4 ⁺ /CD8 ⁺ ratio (MD = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.17–0.33). Furthermore, APS combined with chemoradiotherapy further reduced tumor marker levels, including: CEA (MD = −1.24, 95% CI: −1.58 to −0.89), SCC (MD = −1.18, 95% CI: -1.51 to −0.84), and CA125 (MD = −9.12, 95% CI: −18.22 to −0.01). Subgroup analyses of ORR and DCR suggest that APS can enhance the clinical efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for cervical cancer, respectively. TSA indicated that the results for ORR, DCR, and ADRs were certain, with other trials unlikely to alter the findings. 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.

Objective: Observational studies showed that Type 2 diabetes increased the risk of breast cancer, and vice versa. However, it is uncertain whether the link is causal or just due to confounding fact...

Purpose. To explore the active compounds of the Chinese medicine prescriptions of Bushen Hugu Decoction (BHD) and demonstrate its mechanisms against malignant tumor bone metastasis (BM) through network pharmacology and molecular docking analysis.Methods. The main components and targets of BHD were retrieved from the TCMSP database, and the targets were normalized by UniProt. The Herbs‐Components‐Targets network of BHD was established by Cytoscape. The main BM targets were obtained from GeneCards, TTD, DrugBank, and OMIM. STRING and Cytoscape were used to construct a PPI network and obtain hub genes. DAVID and Metascape were used for GO and KEGG enrichment analyses. According to the network topology parameters, the top 4 components were selected for molecular docking verification with the core targets. Results. Compound–target network of BHD mainly contained 51 compounds and 259 corresponding targets including 107 BHD‐BM targets. PPI interaction network and subnetworks identified ten hub genes. GO enrichment analysis found 1970 terms (p < 0.05), and 164 signaling pathways (p < 0.05) were found in KEGG, including PI3K‐Akt signaling pathway, proteoglycans in cancer, prostate cancer, MAPK signaling pathway, and IL‐17 signaling pathway. Molecular docking analysis showed that the active components of BHD, quercetin, luteolin, kaempferol, and aureusidin have good binding activity to the core targets. Conclusion. The potential molecular target and signaling pathways were found for BHD major active components. It provides guidance for the future mechanism research of the BHD in malignant tumor bone metastasis. This study also established the foundation for the new strategy for the pharmacology study of Chinese medicine.