Numerous studies have explored the anti-tumor effect of berberine (BBR), but little clinical evidence guides the use of BBR in cancer patients. Our aim was to investigate the impact of BBR on various cancers in healthy animals to promote the transformation from bench to bed. PubMed, Embase, Springer, and Cochrane databases were searched from January 2000 to October 2018 for relevant articles. Only published studies focusing on the relationship between BBR and various cancers in vivo were qualified. Two review authors independently assessed the risk of bias for each study, and any disagreement was resolved by discussion or by involving a third assessor. A total of 26 studies from 2000 to 2018, focusing on various cancer types, including breast cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, lung cancer, gastric cancer, neuroepithelial cancer, endometrial carcinoma, esophageal cancer, tongue cancer, cholangiocarcinoma, and sarcoma were included. Overall, BBR reduced tumor volume (SMD =3.72, 95% CI: 2.89, 4.56, Z = 8.73, p < 0.00001) and tumor weight (SMD =2.35, 95% CI: 1.51, 3.19, Z = 5.50, p < 0.00001) in a linear The dose–response relationship (Pearson r = − 0.6717, p < 0.0001 in tumor volume analysis; Pearson r = − 0.7704, p < 0.0005 in tumor weight analysis). BBR inhibited angiogenesis in tumor tissues (SMD = 4.29, 95% CI: 2.14, 6.44, Z = 3.92, p < 0.00001), but it had no significant effect on the body weight of experimental animals (SMD = 0.11, 95% CI: − 0.70, 0.92, Z = 0.27, p = 0.78). Publication bias was not detected. BBR exerted anti-tumor effects in a variety of tumors in vivo, especially breast cancer and lung cancer, and the evidence was still insufficient in colorectal cancer and gastric cancer.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most commonly diagnosed lung cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. This study aimed to analyze if serum C-reactive protein (CRP), albumin (Alb), and CRP/Alb ratio could provide prognostic information in patients with NSCLC. 387 patients with primary NSCLC were included in this analysis. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) of death with adjustment for some potential confounders. The multivariate regression analyses revealed the statistically significant associations of decreased survival of patients with NSCLC with elevated CRP, decreased Alb, and elevated CRP/Alb ratio. The HRs of mortality were 1.56 (95% CI: 0.80–3.04) and 2.64 (95% CI: 1.35–5.16) for patients in the second and the highest tertiles of CRP (P-trend = 0.003). For albumin, the HR was 0.50 (95% CI: 0.29–0.85) for the normal group. The CRP/Alb ratio strongly predicted the survival of patients in the highest tertile with a fourfold risk of dying compared with those in the lowest tertile (HR = 4.14, 95% CI: 2.15–7.98). The subgroup analysis according to various patient characteristics confirmed these associations. In conclusion, serum CRP, albumin, and CRP/Alb ratio are predictive of survival for Chinese patients with NSCLC.

Background: Numerous studies have reported contradicting results on the relationship between cancer mortality and schizophrenia. Our aim is to quantify the mortality rate of common site-specific cancers among patients with schizophrenia and to synthesize the available research evidence. Methods: We performed a systemic search of the PubMed, EMBASE and Web of Science databases. Studies reporting the mortality rate of different cancer in patients with schizophrenia were included. A random-effects model was applied to calculate the pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). Results: Seven studies consisting of 1,162,971 participants with schizophrenia were included in this meta-analysis. Data regarding mortality risk of breast, colon, lung and prostate cancer among schizophrenia patients were subjected to quantitative analysis. Pooled results showed significant increases in mortality risk of breast cancer (RR = 1.97, 95%CI 1.38–2.83), lung cancer (RR = 1.93, 95%CI 1.46–2.54) and colon cancer (RR = 1.69, 95%CI 1.60–1.80) in patients with schizophrenia compared with those in the general population or control group. The mortality risk of prostate cancer increased in male patients, although no significant difference was detected (RR = 1.58, 95% CI 0.79–3.15). Increased risks of mortality from lung and colon cancer were observed in female patients (RR = 2.49, 95%CI 2.40–2.59 and RR = 2.42, 95%CI 1.39–4.22, respectively) and elevated risks of mortality from lung and colon cancer in male patients (RR = 2.40, 95%CI 2.30–2.50 and RR = 1.90, 95%CI 1.71–2.11, respectively) were detected. Conclusions: Individuals with schizophrenia have a significantly high risk of mortality from breast, colon, and lung cancer.

Purpose: Elevated inflammatory markers, including neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), have been identified as poor predictors of survival in several malignancies. This meta-analysis was performed to quantify the effect of pretreatment NLR and PLR on the survival of patients with endometrial cancer (EC). Methods: This review systematically searched for relevant publications in databases of PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. Pooled hazard ratios (pHRs) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were determined and used to explore the association between inflammatory markers and overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) in a random-effects model. Subgroup analysis, sensitivity analysis, and publication bias were also conducted in this meta-analysis. Results: Nine articles comprising 3390 patients were included. NLR higher than the cutoff was associated with a shorter OS (pHR = 2.22, 95% CI 1.77–2.78) and poorer PFS (pHR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.35–2.41). Patients with elevated PLR had high risk of decreased OS (pHR = 1.99, 95% CI = 1.51–2.61) and unfavorable PFS (pHR = 2.02, 95% CI 1.45–2.80). Conclusions: Elevated NLR and PLR during pretreatment are biomarkers of poor prognosis in patients with EC.