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Table 2 Characteristics of systematic reviews

From: The management strategies of cancer-associated anorexia: a critical appraisal of systematic reviews

Systematic review

Relevant studies, No

Study design (No)

Population

Intervention

Control

Outcome

Dewey et al., 2007 [17]

5

RCT (n = 5)

Incurable or advanced cancer patients with either a reported weight loss of 5% and above or cachexia

Oral fish oil supplementation

Placebo/ active matched control

AE, BC, CR, EE, Fatigue, FS, NS, PS, QoL, SA, Survival, WC

Baldwin et al., 2012 [19]

13

RCT (n = 13)

Adults cancer patients with malnourished or at risk of malnutrition

Dietary advice, oral nutritional supplements, or both

Usual care

NI (ie, weight loss and energy intake), QOL, Survival

Reid et al., 2012 [20]

3

RCT (n = 3)

Advanced or incurable cancer patients with weight loss or cachexia

Thalidomide orally

Placebo/ an alternative experimental treatment modality

AE, BC, Fatigue, FS, GP, PIC, PS, QoL, Survival

Ruiz et al., 2013 [21]

35

RCT (n = 35)

Patients with cancer, AIDS or another underlying pathology related anorexia-cachexia

Megestrol acetate

Placebo/ other active drug treatments/ different doses

AC, AE, MAC, QoL, TSFT, WC

Chung et al., 2016 [26]

14

RCT (n = 14)

Cancer patients with various types, most in moderate to advanced stage

CHM, either in combination with other treatments or used alone

Conventional treatment, placebo, or no treatment.

Fatigue, paresthesias, dysesthesias, chronic pain, anorexia, insomnia, limbs edema, constipation

Lau et al., 2016 [27]

13

RCT (n = 13)

Patients with various types of cancer, near half in moderate to advanced stages

Any form of acupuncture and/or related therapies

Any type of interventions without acupuncture or related treatments

Fatigue, paresthesia, dysesthesias, chronic pain, anorexia, insomnia, limb edema, constipation, QoL

Bai et al., 2017 [28]

4

RCT (N = 3) Randomized crossover Trial (n = 1)

Cancer anorexia-cachexia syndrome (CACS) patients

Anamorelin

Placebo or Anamorelin at various doses

AC, GS, LBM, PS, QoL, Serum biomarkers, WC

Mochamat et al., 2017 [29]

21

RCT (n = 17) Prospective studies (n = 3) Crossover study (n = 1)

Cancer patients with cachexia or cachexia-related symptoms

Vitamin, mineral, proteins, or other dietary supplements

No supplements/ different supplements

AE, AC, LBM, L-carnitine, QoL, Survival, WC,

  1. Abbreviations: AC appetite change, AE adverse events, AIDS acquired immune deficiency syndrome, BC body composition, CHM chinese herbal medicine, CR compliance rates, EE energy expenditure, FS functional status, GS grip strength, LBM lean body mass, MAC mid-arm circumference, NS nutritional status, NI nutritional indices, PIC pro-inflammatory cytokines, PS performance status, QoL quality of life, RCT randomized clinical trial, SE side effects, TSFT triceps skin fold thickness, WC weight change