Effectiveness and safety of acupuncture and moxibustion for defecation dysfunction after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer: protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

IntroductionDefecation dysfunction (DD) is one of the most common complications following sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer. And there is no effective treatment of DD after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer. Although some studies suggested that acupuncture and moxibustion (AM) is effective and safe for DD after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer, lacking strong evidence, for instance, the relevant systematic review, meta-analysis and randomised controlled trial (RCT) of a large, multicentre sample, makes the effects and safety remain uncertain. The present protocol is described for a systematic review and meta-analysis to investigate the effectiveness and safety of AM for DD after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer.Methods and analysisWe will search nine online databases from inception to 1 October 2019; the language of included trials will not be restricted. This study will include RCTs that performed AM as the main method of the experimental group for patients with DD after sphincter-preserving surgery for rectal cancer. Two of the researchers will independently select the studies, conduct risk of bias assessment and extract the data. We will use the fixed-effects model or random-effects model of RevMan V.5.2 software to analyse data synthesis. The risk ratios with 95% CIs and weighted mean differences or standardised mean differences with 95% CIs will be used to present the data synthesis outcome of dichotomous data respectively and the continuous data. Evidence quality of outcome will be assessed by using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system.Ethics and disseminationEthical approval is not required in this secondary research evidence, and we will publish the results of this study in a journal or concerned conferences.Trial registration numberCRD42019140097.

Effects of acupuncture treatment on postoperative gastrointestinal dysfunction in colorectal cancer: study protocol for randomized controlled trials

“…Current western medical interventions such as gastrointestinal decompression and oral administered prokinetic medications have shown unsatisfactory results in patients, leading to the search for alternative treatment options by clinical practitioners, to facilitate early recovery of gastrointestinal functions [ 7 ]. Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment method that could promote gastrointestinal functions while having minimal side effects [ 13 , 15 ]. Although current studies have shown the duration of PGID could be reduced through acupuncture, research on acupuncture and its role and therapeutic effect in the prevention of PGID in colorectal cancer patients has not been studied [ 21 ].…”

“…Recent evidence shows that [ 13 , 14 ] acupuncture exhibits higher effectiveness over western medications, displaying various advantages such as expediting the recovery of gastrointestinal function, reducing postoperative complications, boosting immunity, and improving quality of life, when applied as a complementary treatment for colorectal cancer. Additionally, acupuncture possesses qualities of a safe and economical treatment and holds an irreplaceable role in rehabilitation medicine [ 15 ]. However, existing studies have their limitations, including small study samples, poorly designed experiments, low credibility of experimental results, etc.…”

Acupuncture for Quality of Life of Patients with Defecation Dysfunction after Sphincter Preserving Surgery for Rectal Cancer: A Systematic Review

“…We conducted the systematic review in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement, and the protocol of this systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered on PROSPERO ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO , https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/CRD42019140097 ), registered on 5 Sep. 2019, and published on BMJ open [ 15 ].…”

Acupuncture for Rectal Cancer Patients with Low Anterior Resection Syndrome: A Mixed Method Pilot Study Protocol

“…The acupuncture operation in this single-arm study follows the theory of meridians and collaterals in TCM. In clinical practice, electroacupuncture was determined to be beneficial for LARS control, and the researches on acupuncture for defecation dysfunction after sphincterpreserving surgery for rectal cancer also showed potential effects [23].…”