Comparative effectiveness of hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy for gastric cancer: A systematic review and network meta-analysis protocol

BACKGROUND: Comparative efficacy and safety of different hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapies (HIPEC) in patients with advanced gastric cancer who underwent gastrectomy is unclear. To investigate this question, we conduct a systematic review and network meta-analysis. METHODS: The protocol followed Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Protocols. PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library will be searched systematically for eligible randomized controlled trials without language restriction. The primary outcome is overall survival. The second outcomes are postoperative complications. The surface under the cumulative ranking curve value will be calculated to establish a hierarchy of the treatments. RESULTS: The results will provide useful information about the effectiveness and safety of HIPEC regimens in patients with resected gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: The findings of the study will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal.