Background.
Huachansu, the sterilized water extract of Bufo bufo gargarizans toad skin, is used in China to alleviate the side-effects and enhance the
therapeutic effect of
chemotherapy in advanced
non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We conducted a meta-analysis to assess
Huachansu's efficacy. Methods. We extensively searched electronic databases (CENTRAL, EMBASE, MEDLINE, CBM, Cochrane Library, CNKI, CEBM, WFDP, CSCD, CSTD, and IPA) for randomized controlled trials containing
Huachansu plus
chemotherapy as the test group and
chemotherapy as the control group. Seventeen trials were selected based on the selection criteria. The pooled relative ratio (RR) of indicators with 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was calculated for efficacy evaluation. Results. The meta-analysis demonstrated a statistically significant improvement in objective
tumor response, one-year survival, Karnofsky performance status,
pain relief, and alleviation of severe side-effects (
nausea and
vomiting,
leukocytopenia) in the test group as compared to the control group, but no significant difference in
thrombocytopenia. Conclusions. This study demonstrated the efficacy of
Huachansu combined with
chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. However, limitations exist and high-quality trials are needed for further verification.