Brucea javanica oil emulsion injection (BJOEI) as an adjunctive therapy for patients with advanced colorectal carcinoma: A protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Brucea javanica oil emulsion injection (BJOEI) has been widely applied as a promising adjunctive drug for colorectal carcinoma (CRC). However, the exact effects and safety of BJOEI remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to summarize the efficacy and safety of BJOEI for the treatment of advanced CRC through the meta-analysis, in order to provide scientific reference for the design of future clinical trials. METHODS: Eligible prospective controlled clinical trials were searched from PubMed, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, Medline, Web of Science (WOS), Excerpt Medica Database (Embase), Chinese BioMedical Database (CBM), China Scientific Journal Database (VIP), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang Database. Papers in English or Chinese published from January 2000 to May 2020 will be included without any restrictions. The clinical outcomes including therapeutic effects, quality of life (QoL), immune function and adverse events, were systematically evaluated. Study selection and data extraction will be performed independently by 2 reviewers. Review Manager 5.3 and Stata 14.0 were used for data analysis, and a fixed or random-effect model will be used depending upon the heterogeneity observed between trials. Subgroup and meta-regression analysis will be carried out depending on the availability of sufficient data. RESULTS: The results of this systematic review will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. CONCLUSION: Our study will draw an objective conclusion of the effects and safety of BJOEI for advanced CRC, and provide a helpful evidence for clinicians to formulate the best postoperative adjuvant treatment strategy for CRC patients. INPLASY registration number: INPLASY202060014.