Vella Roberta, Giardino Alessandro, Pizzocaro Erica, Frigerio Isabella, Bannone Elisa, Vieni Salvatore, Butturini Giovanni
HPB Surgery, Pederzoli Hospital, Peschiera del Garda, 37019 Verona, Italy.
Department of Precision Medicine in Medical, Surgical, and Critical Care, (Me.Pre.C.C.), University of Palermo, 90133 Palermo, Italy.
Cancers (Basel). 2025 Apr 25;17(9):1437. doi: 10.3390/cancers17091437.
This study aims to review the existing literature on the efficacy and safety of unconventional treatments among pancreatic cancer patients, including the use of natural products, dietary supplements, probiotics, whole medical systems, and body-based therapies.
An electronic, systematic, and comprehensive literature review was conducted searching for studies up to November 2024 following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. Randomized controlled trials and prospective and retrospective studies assessing the efficacy and safety of unconventional treatments for pancreatic cancer were considered eligible. Data on overall survival, quality of life, and treatment tolerability were extracted.
A total of 21 studies, providing data from 3095 patients, met the inclusion criteria. Various types of unconventional treatments are used in pancreatic cancer patients, including Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), mistletoe extract (ME), curcumin, and electroacupuncture. Among these, the use of CHM and curcumin concomitant with standard therapy was associated with survival and quality-of-life benefits. Electroacupuncture reduced pancreatic cancer pain intensity in a cost-effective manner. The data on ME are mixed and of insufficient quality for drawing definitive conclusions.
Some unconventional treatments showed potential benefits in improving overall survival and quality of life in pancreatic cancer patients within an integrative oncology setting. Further high-quality studies are needed to provide robust, rigorous, and ethical evidence to support their integration into future guidelines, ensuring a holistic approach to cancer treatment.
本研究旨在综述关于胰腺癌患者非常规治疗的疗效和安全性的现有文献，包括天然产物、膳食补充剂、益生菌、整个医学体系以及基于身体的疗法的使用情况。
按照PRISMA 2020指南进行了一项电子、系统且全面的文献综述，检索截至2024年11月的研究。评估胰腺癌非常规治疗疗效和安全性的随机对照试验以及前瞻性和回顾性研究被视为符合条件。提取了总生存期、生活质量和治疗耐受性的数据。
共有21项研究符合纳入标准，提供了来自3095名患者的数据。胰腺癌患者使用了各种类型的非常规治疗方法，包括中药、槲寄生提取物、姜黄素和电针。其中，中药和姜黄素与标准治疗联合使用与生存和生活质量改善相关。电针以具有成本效益的方式降低了胰腺癌疼痛强度。关于槲寄生提取物的数据喜忧参半，质量不足以得出明确结论。
在综合肿瘤学背景下，一些非常规治疗方法在改善胰腺癌患者的总生存期和生活质量方面显示出潜在益处。需要进一步的高质量研究来提供有力、严谨且符合伦理的证据，以支持将其纳入未来指南，确保采用整体癌症治疗方法。
