Chinese herbal compound prescription for Endometriosis: A protocol for systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Endometriosis (EMT) is one of the common diseases of women of childbearing age. EMT destroys the anatomical structure of the pelvis, which leads to abnormal ovulation and endocrine abnormalities. It also affects embryo implantation and makes patients infertile. Recently, it is confirmed that Chinese medicine also have an excellent clinical efficacy on EMT. Compared with the conventional western medicine treatment, it effectively relieve pain and other concomitant symptoms. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: The following databases will be searched for relevant information before July 2020: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CNKI. Major results: the overall effective rate, VAS score. Secondary outcomes: blood serum estradiol (E2), progesterone (P), Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH), adverse events. Data will be collected independently by 2 researchers, and the risk of bias in meta-analysis will be evaluated according to “Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions”. All data analysis will be conducted using Review Manager V.5.3. and Stata V.12.0. RESULTS: The curative effect and safety of Chinese herbal compound prescription treatment for EMT patients will be evaluated systematically. CONCLUSION: The systematic review of this study will summarize the currently published evidence of Chinese herbal compound prescription treatment for EMT to further guide its promotion and application. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The private information from individuals will not be published. This systematic review also will not involve endangering participant rights. Ethical approval is not required. The results may be published in a peer-reviewed journal or disseminated in relevant conferences. OPEN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK (OSF) REGISTRATION NUMBER: https://osf.io/p5nrk.